For the Children - Dawn and New Ages: The 1st Hunger Games
by Ares the War God
Summary: The First Part of the For the Children SYOT Series. War, Deprivation, Oppression, Dominance. These are the factors that make up our great new nation of Panem. The District's have fallen, and we, the Capitol, have risen above the ashes, to start a new age. Dawn has risen, and the District's all must pay for what has been done. They must pay, For the children.
1. Prologue Part 1 - Tears and Soil

Prologue: Part 1 – Tears and Soil

**Augrillian Shire, 28, D6:**

I remain expressionless as the first shots are heard. One would hope for fireworks, a tire popping, and hell, even the eruption of lightning from the glooming grey sky. However, the only colour I see is red. As a matter of fact, deep crimson seems more fitting.

The crimson liquid sprays everywhere, the front of the crowd getting covered in much of it. I shake my head as I make out a few cries from the loud gunfire. It is the norm nowadays, everyone should be desensitized to the horror that is the situation.

This matter is worse however, executions are very regular, but I still am sympathetic to the few that can't take what they have done now. I should be feeling thankful, the position that we all are in could be much more, horrific. After all, that could be our children, teens, whatever they could be classed as, lying on the stage with a bullet through their heads.

No, instead they are watching these events. They are around me, I can tell by the gaps in the crowd, obviously where a short child stands, clinging to their parents. That's unlikely, there aren't many children with parents as of now. The obvious reason many adults have been eradicated from existence, their sole memory living on in their child.

Well, that is mainly the case in District 6. Most of these orphan children, have come from the other districts. Commonly from 13, 9 and 4. Most of the country would be watching on a screen, maybe except for District 0. That would be because 5 cut them off from electricity a few months ago. They would have given them power on the screen in their Central, this is about them of course.

"Mommy, can I see?" I hear from my right. A young girl, I would presume to be about four years of age, has her eyes covered by an older woman, who appears worn and distant. Her eyes are glassy and fixated on the stage.

"Let her look, she needs to see this", I mutter to the woman. She glances at me and sighs, accepting the harsh reality of our civilisation. The girl needs to know, why this is happening. The time for innocence has come to an end.

I turn away, not wanting to have to see this. Instead of cries of horror, the girl utters confusion at the events that have occurred on the stage.

"Mommy, why are those other kids sleeping?" she asks. The mother remains silent as someone from further behind demands that she shuts the child up.

My chest tenses up as the rebels kick the bodies off the stage. I picture a ragdoll, getting thrown around aimlessly without the ability to move. Helpless, vulnerable, completely drained of life. The puddles of blood become more apparent, now becoming cloggy with portions of brain and bone.

Why do we need to go to this extent, innocent children? Who did absolutely nothing? Of course it isn't as simple as that. District 0 has of course been very defiant against us, the Rebels. They can't seem to accept the fact that we have won, beaten them, claimed Panem and sealed peace.

Perhaps the only way to get through to them, was to hit them in their weakest spot. Their own children.

The executions have been planned for this day, of course to be held in District 6, the face of this rebellion. The hostages that the Rebels have acquired, the majority being children, are our last hopeful act of ending this once and for all.

My eyes glance up from the bodies as I hear the rumble of footsteps against wood. My stomach begins to churn. That sound represents one thing, the next batch of children, ready for slaughtering. They all walk forward, around twenty of them, varying in size and gender. Their wrists are tied in front of them and each child has a bag over their head. They all stop and are forced to kneel by each rebel.

My eyes wander over to Haor Metchell, leader of the Rebels. He hasn't spoken since the start of the execution, around five hours ago. I can already presume that something big is about to happen, mainly because they are now fixating the cameras on Haor.

"District 0. You have allowed thousands of your children to die, and what for? Defiance? Superiority? All it would have taken was your surrender. This has gone on long enough, so we are going to up the ante a notch", booms Haor.

This isn't good, this isn't going to end well for District 0. Anything could happen here.

"These are the remaining children, specifically chosen for a reason. We have of course saved the best for last, and now we intend to use them", he says.

"Fellow rebels, lift the bags up", calls Haor. Each designated rebel for each child roughly pulls the scratchy looking bags off of the children.

"You know who these children are, especially this young deviant here", he says patting a terrified looking boy. This child is the only child I recognise. I assume all the others are children of officials. However, I believe that this boy is the son of the President. His face is shiny from tears, trails have been made from where grime used to be. His eyes are wide and his bottom lip trembles with fear.

"Now President Satchel, you have two options. Option 1 is surrender and get all these young souls back and unharmed. Option 2, watch every one of them die", Haor says, his lips curling into a cruel smirk.

"You have five minutes to respond, otherwise, Option 2 will be forced to carry out. Your choice, and I do hope you are wise with this decision", he says finally, and steps away from the microphone.

The five minutes are probably the most despicable I have ever experienced. The Town Square is silent, the exception being the hysteric wails and sobs from the kids on the stage, the President's son included. It is becoming unbearable to put up with this for much longer.

My thoughts are interrupted by Haor.

"Very well, you have not attempted to negotiate. So now, the consequence", he says emotionless.

All of the kids begin to cry, now realising their fate. Everyone remains expressionless, if anything, silently competing to remain calm. Haor grabs the gun off of the rebel behind the President's son and makes a show of aiming it at his head.

"You had your chance 0, you didn't take it", Haor says bitterly.

"3…2…1…FIRE!" he shouts. This time I can't take it. I cry out in sorrow, and pain, and weariness. All for the children, every single one that died, because of the nation's actions. All of these emotions that have built up in me almost rise out of my gut and all over the ground. It appears I am not the only one to have these reactions, most of the crows has now shifted in disgust, shielding themselves at the horror in front of them.

I catch a glimpse of the President's son, a tear slowly rolls down his soaked cheek, and is absorbed by the soft soil he rests on.

I just can't believe what we have become. We are acting like District 0, selfish, ruthless and merciless. It disgusts me, this world that we live in. How did people live thousands of years ago? When we need to do this to survive?

I feel the drops begin to fall rapidly on my head. The rain has now arrived, splashing off the stage, absorbing into the soil. The rain becomes louder now, and this is when I know something is wrong.

District 0 is here.

People scream and scramble around, trying to escape the Town Square. It's almost as if its slow motion, when I watch the bullet go through Haor's head. His body slumps lifelessly to the floor, as do all the rebels on stage and many more around me.

I fall to try and avoid the bullets, and stare right into the lifeless eyes of the woman and her daughter, clinging to each other in death. I don't know what to do, I don't know what to think. Everything is a blur of colours and shapes. All I can make out, is a voice. It says something that sends a chill running down my spine.

"District 6, and every other District. District 13 has fallen, the war has been won. It is now time to start a new age, and pay for your crimes and destruction. All hail the Capitol, the almighty ruler of Panem", is what I hear before I black out.

**A/N: Hello, this is my SYOT of the first ever Hunger Games. The Tribute form and the rules will be on my profile, as well as a description of all the Districts, just for some inspiration. Please, just because this is my first SYOT, don't let that hold you back from submitting and judging me.**


	2. Prologue Part 2 - Retribution and Sorrow

Prologue: Part 2 – Retribution

(WARNING: Extreme Language, Hints of Abuse)

**Jonah Welsh, 32, Capitol:**

The tension in the room is very pronounced. The silence is somewhat, deafening as I look at each individuals face. It has become apparent that they are all clueless as to what action we should take next. The solemn expressions make the atmosphere even tighter, and I know, that what we are about to touch on is a very, cringe worthy topic.

Of course it doesn't help with the President in the room, blank eyes, deep frown, and dangerously pale skin. This is how we all feel, myself included. After what District 6 has done, it has left a wave of depression, coldness, and hostility sweeping over our refuge.

I feel as if a part of my soul has been vigorously torn from deep inside. My beautiful little girl, is no more. Now because of this, we need to punish them, all of them. Even District's 1, 3 and 4. District 2 no doubt deserves it, after their betrayal.

District's 5, 6 and 9, they will have it the worst. However, the problem presents itself again. How?

"This is useless, we are getting nowhere", complains one of the other officials.

"We need to hit them hard, show them no mercy, and make sure that this never gets repeated again", I say quietly, observing the events that occurred in District 6, the reason this meeting is even taking place.

"Think, what did they do? They claimed the lives of thousands of our children, wiping out at least a disturbing number of the next generation. What can we do that will beat that? That can show them that we are more superior in them, and to hurt them like they hurt us?" I say.

I get no response. I get the feeling that they may be thinking exactly what I am thinking, however do not have the encouragement to say it. I sigh, just knowing that as much as we don't want to do this, it needs to be done.

Suddenly, the President speaks up.

"We need to hit them where it will hurt, for retribution", he almost whispers. Everyone looks up at the sudden mention from Satchel. He is perfectly correct, in fact, I couldn't have worded it any better if I tried.

"Exactly, and I believe we are on our first step in that path", I state. This earns looks of confusion in response as everyone shifts their attention to me. My lips curl into a smirk.

"Observe", I instruct. I press the button that I had neatly set up in front of me, causing the other officials to gasp at the sudden commotion that occurs when the doors open.

We are greeted by a strain of colourful swear words at the entrance of two Capitol Soldiers and a young man, aged in his mid-twenties. His hands are tied behind his back and are being held there tightly. A rag is hung around his neck, suggesting that he has been gagged for the majority of his time here.

It appears he has seen better days, a fair amount of stubble has accumulated around his face, his face appears worn and tired, and that's not even the worst of it. His left eye is swollen and purple with several layers of grime and dirt covering his whole body. There are dark and tender bruises all over his body as well as nasty cuts.

To top it all off, the man is twitching uncontrollably, suggesting that he has been shocked by electricity numerous times. However, this does not mask the fiery rage that he spits out at us. This just makes me smile more, the District man is getting what he deserves, and from his appearance, he has the same ashen black hair and pale white skin that locals from District 6 have.

I decide that he has had his moment and so I begin.

"What is your name?" I boom.

"Why should I answer to you, you incoherent fuck! Ahhhh!" he screams as he is shocked by a Taser from the right soldier.

"Thank you for keeping the peace, Sargent", I say to the soldier. Suddenly something occurs in me.

"After this meeting, I want you and him to deploy fifty soldiers to each District, you will make sure the Districts remain stable and you shall be called, 'Peacekeepers', is that understood"? I instruct the soldier while pointing at the other one.

"Yes sir", says the one that shocked the man.

"Okay, back to business, what is your name?" I repeat.

"Fuck you", the man mutters, clearly worn out.

The Peacekeeper goes to electrify him again but I hold my hand up to stop him.

"If you don't want to be shocked again, I suggest you state your name", I demand.

He takes a moment before responding.

"Augrillian Shire", he says weakly, clearly defeated.

"Now we are getting somewhere, aren't we?" I say sweetly, but sarcastically.

"Who the fuck are you" he grunts.

"Well, I shall answer politely and without hassle, show you how it's really done. My name is Jonah Welsh, Vice President", I inform him.

"Now, we have brought you here for a purpose, and once you have helped us with that, we will bring you back to that pathetic slum of a home, District 6", I say, starting to pace up and down.

"I'm not helping you with shit, you oppressive bastards", he shouts, starting to get fired up again. This time, the Peacekeeper on the left punches him, shutting him down instantly. He spits out blood and lets out a groan.

"Well, regardless if you want to help us or not, we have a way of making you do so", I say, smirking at him. He appears genuinely confused at this statement, before his expression suddenly drops drastically. This is due to what has just entered the room.

The two new Peacekeepers hold a little girl by the arms, she too has multiple bruises and layers of grime. Augrillian shows absolute fury, struggling to control himself.

"What the FUCK DID YOU DO TO HER!" he roars, trying to throw himself at me, but ultimately failing miserably.

"We found her near you, while you were unconscious, she was close to dead, but fortunately for her, her mother's body had been shielding her. May I ask, are you the Father?"

"No, I'm not" he grunts through gritted teeth. The girl begins to whimper, tears rolling down her dirty cheeks.

"Where is my Mommy?" she sobs, eyes shining. She is ignored.

"Either way Mr Shire, it would be a shame, for something to happen to her…", I trail off as one of the Peacekeepers holding her raises a gun to her head.

"NO, I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU!" he roars as he manages to throw off the Peacekeepers. He runs at the one with the gun and completely knocks him over. However, the one that shocked him before brings out a tranquilizer, and shoots Augrillian in the neck.

Augrillian slumps over the Peacekeeper that he attacked, now unconscious. Shortly after, the girl is shot too, falling into the arms of the Peacekeeper holding her.

"Please men, deport the two of them back to District 6, they have been more than helpful for our cause", I instruct the Peacekeepers. They nod and drag them out of the door, and then out of sight.

"So, there is our answer folks, the children are the key to punishing them", I say with a smirk.

"Technically, it's an eye for an eye. They killed our children, and we shall do the same in return", I say as I plonk myself down back on my cushiony seat.

"Yeah, but… how can we do it? Surely we can't just grab thousands of children from each district and kill them, that will destroy the whole next generation", says one of the men.

"Exactly, I've thought about that, and I believe I have the solution. They thought they were so superior to us, all allied together, thinking they were strong while fighting alongside each other. No, not anymore, because each year, we will hold a competition, that holds their children. Yes, one boy and one girl from each District, and they will be forced to kill each other, until one survives", I suggest.

Everyone begins nodding and stating their thoughts on the idea. We come to the conclusion that it's the right step to take.

"It's perfect Jonah, punishment for the District's, and entertainment for the Capitol! Brilliant", says President Satchel.

"Just two questions", he says.

"What's that?"

"Firstly, how old will the children be?" he asks. Everyone nods in question.

"The youngest child to be killed out of ours was twelve, sorry Mr President", I say gesturing towards Satchel who bows his head down. It was his child after all.

"The oldest would have to be eighteen as they become an adult the year after, so I believe twelve to eighteen year olds", I say. I get nods of agreement in response, perhaps because they are too scared to oppose me.

"The second question, what shall we call this competition?" asks Satchel.

I smile, as I already know the exact answer to this.

"You know how District 9 starved us for months?" I ask.

"Indeed", President Satchel says bitterly.

"Well they have brought the name upon themselves", I state.

"What is it?"

"It shall be called, The Hunger Games".

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed, please be sure to review as that helps me know if people actually read this. Also, the way I shall write the story up until the games will be in the same style as Author of Ice and Fire's SYOT, History Repeats Itself. This story is inspired by it and the format it is written in really does seem to work. Be sure to check it out! One last thing, I should get the last part to the prologue out soon as it is Easter holidays here.**

**Until Next Time, - Ares**


	3. Prologue Part 3 - Pain and Glory

Prologue: Part 3 - Pain and Glory

**Hope Tevess, 10, D6:**

Tears threaten to escape my eyes as my elbows hit the floor. I hear a grunt as my new friend Augrillian lands with a thump on the sharp gravel next to me, although it's hard to hear him over the noise of the air ship above us. I roll over to face him, which becomes a mistake when the gravel scrapes the bump on my head from when that mean solider hit me on the head.

Augrillian didn't like it when he did that, no he got very angry. I begin to cry out for my Mom, before I realise that she isn't here anymore. Augrillian told me she went on a holiday to District 4, where it was always sunny with deep blue oceans. I know the truth, I've learnt an awful lot in the last 3 months that I spent at District 0. They like to call themselves the Capitol now, for some reason.

Anyways, my Mom, is sleeping like the kids on the stage, resting in peace. The stage has been transformed now. A massive TV is in the centre, while Mayor Overlook stands at a microphone to the left. He doesn't look very happy, neither do any of the people in the Town Square.

In fact, the place is crowded with people, all looking like they were about to go to sleep forever. I like to think of it as that, it's a bit more calming.

Augrillian begins to stir, struggling to push himself up. People begin to help us up, before being stopped by a large group of the soldiers. I recognise the uniform as the same ones of the people that held us at that office place. People start pushing off the soldiers and lift us up before the soldiers can do anything.

"Thankyou", mutters Augrillian as he wipes the sweat off his face. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and begins to trudge toward the square.

"What is going on, Augrillian?" I ask curiously.

"Well, they ar-".

"I want to know the truth", I say defiantly. He sighs, but I know he won't lie.

"They are announcing the punishment for the District's", he mutters. I heard punishment, I don't like punishments. Mom would usually take away my toys if she was punishing me, but I have a feeling that District 0, oops... I mean the Capitol, will take away the toys of the Districts.

We get pushed forward by the others that make their way to the Town Square, not because they want too, but the Soldiers are urging them along. As much as they are trying to contain the crowd, they still get sly remarks thrown at them. I scrunch my face in confusion as I read the name tags over the heart of each Soldier.

It reads Peacekeeper.

"Augrillian, what's a Peacekeeper?" I ask cautiously. Another thing I have learnt is that it's not a good idea to ask Augrillian to many questions, he can be a bit cranky sometimes.

"They are the new Authority in the Districts, meant to keep the peace of the nation. They're not doing a very good job of it though", he says motioning towards a pack of middle-aged men, shoving off the Peacekeepers that were trying to escort them.

"That bastard, Jonah, created them", he spits. Jonah remains in my memory all to well. He almost forced me to go to sleep. Luckily, I didn't go to sleep for good. I rub the lump on my left shoulder, from what that Peacekeeper shot at me. I blacked out after that, waking up several times in some dark room, chained to the wall while it shook around. Now that I think about it, I think it was the aircraft that I was in.

We arrive at the Square, surrounded by the large population of District 6, with outskirts of Peacekeepers. The stage remains intact from the Capitol's raid, however now there is a large television. Mayor Overlook taps his fingers impatiently, buckets of sweat dripping down his forehead and nose.

Peacekeepers start shooting in the air to silence the crowd.

"Shut the fuck up!" Shouts a man from my front left. The Peacekeepers aim their guns at the man who does little less than blink.

"We request you stay silent or we shall fire upon you", orders a female Peacekeepers with golden blonde hair.

"Oh yeah? I thought you were meant to be keeping the peace, not being noisy assholes that use their power as a threat", the man shoots back. The Peacekeepers remain silent.

"Come on then, do your worst!" He shouts at them, raising his arms outward as if presenting himself. It's obvious to everyone that they won't, they may have guns, but them against the whole District 6 population, would be a death wish.

"Oi, I said shut your mouth", the woman calls back. Briefly, the statement "that's what I thought" can be heard before Mayor Overlook coughs into the microphone, claiming everyone's attention. "Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, I dearly hope you are having a pleasant day. What brings us here today, is a very special announcement from the President himself! He will be taking about what actions are going to be taken to ensure peace in our nation", he says, struggling with a few words. I notice he looks up to the clock tower numerous times, and so does Augrillian.

He looks up at the clock tower before quickly turning away.

"They have him at gunpoint, they don't want him to feed the rebellious spirits", he whispers. I continue watching the stage, not wanting to draw attention.

"Now, please hold your applause till the end, please welcome President Satchel", he says before going to sit next to his wife. The screen suddenly turns on and we are greeted by President Satchel, thick grey curly hair, chubby jowls, wrinkles coming from the corners of his chocolate brown eyes.

"You have brought this upon yourselves, and now it is time to suffer the consequences. You thought it had been won, thought you claimed it so easy. Your foolishness was your down fall and it has ended you here. You fought together, and now you shall take each other down. It is the beginning of a new era, and now Vice President Welsh shall inform you of our plans".

The screen cuts away to Welsh. I feel Augrillian tense up next to me. He is exactly the same as I remember him. Arrogant, sick, manipulative. His slick black hair and his cold grey eyes bring the chills rolling back down my spine. It feels like he is staring right into my soul.

"I am Jonah Welsh, Vice President and newly appointed Head Gamemaker. You may be asking yourself, what is a Head Gamemaker? I'm about to explain to you everything you need to know", he says, mouth curling up into that infamous smirk he holds.

"I would like to present to you, The Annual Hunger Games! Yes, it is exactly what I said it is, a game, a competition, a trial. Every year from now on, one boy and one girl, between the ages twelve and eighteen, will be selected from each District to come to the Capitol, they will be known as tributes", he says.

There, you will train for a week, before all Twenty-Four tributes will be transported to an arena. There they will collect food, shelter, water, and weapons, and participate in a battle to the death.

The Game will last until one remaining tribute stands, and will be named Victor of the 1st Annual Hunger Games. After, they shall be showered in riches and will be assigned a house in the Victors Village of their District", he states witha triumphant smile.

"The last thing is, there are no rules, except don't run off your pedastool before the sixty second countdown ends. It won't be pretty. Otherwise, you can Volunteer for your gender, if you desire to. One other thing, you cannot attack the other tributes before the games start. However, during the games you are free to do whatever you want, kill whoever you want and how you want, ally with other tributes, do drugs, it doesn't matter", he says.

"Oh, and to the rebels, you brought this upon yourselves, for taking our children. So now, we will take yours", and with that, the screen shuts off.

**A/N: So the mystery girl has been revealed, meet Hope Tevess. I wasn't going to write this chapter through her POV, in fact, she wasn't ever supposed to become a major character. This was kind of hard to write, as I was trying to write through the eyes of a 10 year old girl. Next chapter will be the first POV of a tribute, but I need tributes for that to happen. Please keep submitting, remember any spot is available, if nessacary I will change the District, but you can apply for any spot.**

**-Ares**


	4. Prologue Part 4 - Fortune and Pride

Prologue: Part 4 - Fortune and Pride

**Tiffany Altite, 25, Capitol:**

I believe that I am checking the letter possibly for the seventh time now. Nope, there it is, room 59 in Altitude Heights. I am very curious as to what I could possibly have been summoned here to do. The letter requests that I tell nobody about where I am going or what I am doing, which one would assume is quite suspicious in itself.

However, Altitude Heights is only the most prestigious, most classy, most expensive residence in the whole of our Capitol. In fact, all of Panem. Of course, it is second to President Satchel's Mansion.

So the question remains, why was I brought here? Yet again I glance at the letter. Very delicate handwriting, absolute precision, surely this is a prank. From my right I hear the clopping of heels growing closer. I turn to discover a young woman, around my age. Her bubble gum blue hair rolls in waves to her lower back, skin a questionable pale appearance, lips that are so blue they look like they have frost bite, pursed in a form of stress and hurry.

The thing that I notice first, is a replica of the letter I have. She arrives to the door and smiles at me.

"You got a letter as well?" She asks, motioning towards the one in my hand.

"Yes I did, do you have any idea to why we are here?" I ask.

"No clue", she says, giggling almost childishly.

"Regina Curt", she says, extending her hand. I take her hand and shake it, noticing how cold it is.

"Tiffany Altite", I reply, giving a broad smile.

"Shall we?" She says, gesturing towards the door. In response, I ring the golden doorbell next to the door. Moments later, the door is opened and I am greeted by the biggest surprise of my life, even causing me to gasp out loud.

"Miss Altite, Miss Curt, welcome to my home, we were just about to start", says the man who stands at the door. The man is Jonah Welsh. Regina appears to be just as shocked as me, in fact, her mouth gapes open, almost like a fish out of water. Welsh appears pleased at our reactions, and a small part of me thinks that that maybe it's what he expects.

"Please, ladies do come in, we are all waiting for you", he says softly, grey eyes scanning us as if we are testing him. With that, I step into his apartment. It's an insane understatement to call it an apartment. Welsh owns the penthouse, the room we stand in alone is about the size of a food court in a mall. I see lots of white, pillars of marble, walls of hard stone, I cannot even fathom everything his home could contain.

He leads us to a smaller room with lush red carpet, a long brown oak desk with what I could call a throne at the head. Ten people sit around the table, all socialising and appearing to become familiar with each other. I don't know why we would need to do that, I can't imagine we will have to know each other after this. I seat myself in the second seat from the front, right near Welsh's seat. Regina sits in the remaining seat next to me.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to my humble abode", says Welsh as he seats himself down. An Avox swiftly steps forward and fills his glass with what appears to be whiskey.

"Please, all help yourself, you are my guests after all", he says before taking a sip of his drink. I press the button labeled champagne that is on the pad in front of me.

"Now, I imagine that you are all quite curious as to why I have brought you all out here", he says knowingly, earning quite a few nods and murmurs in response.

"Well, I shall explain now. There are twelve of you, eight women and four men. Each one of you will be assigned a District, and you shall be known as the Escort. What your job will be, is to accompany the two tributes into the Capitol, of course that is after you select the lucky boy and girl. Is everybody with me so far?" He says. A man about two seats away from me raises his hand.

"Yes, Mr Maxwell?" says Welsh.

"How are we going to select the tributes? Do we just choose random people out of the crowd?" He asks.

"Well, sort of. The event your controlling is called 'The Reaping'. Once you have introduced yourselves to the District, you will be able to pick a slip of paper from one of the two balls. After you have called the name of that tribute, they will have to come up onto the stage. Than you will ask for volunteers, and continue if there are none. You shall do the exact same for the second ball. The order doesn't matter, it's at your power. Does everyone understand?" says Welsh. He is answered by a few mutters of yes.

"Okay, so continuing on, you will go on a train ride with the tributes to the Capitol, you will try and help them. Ask them their skills, assess their looks and intelligence, their strength of will and power, their capabilities as well as their weaknesses. Suggest what they should improve during their training sessions, what they should hide, should they be allowed to talk to other tributes. Of course you cannot control that, but you're their guidance. The day before the Private Sessions where they perform their skills to me, go through with what they are doing. The night before the interviews, go through questions, decide their angle, help their posture and attitude", he says, stopping to let everybody absorb the information.

The idea excites me, somehow out of everybody in the Capitol, I was one that was chosen to be a major part of these 'Hunger Games'.

"The day before the arena, you will say your final goodbye's, go through their strategy, and that may be the last time you ever see them in person. Your most important job however, is about to begin. You are in full control of sponsors. You gather the money, you decide when to use the money, and what to use it on. You in many ways, may be their last chance of survival", Welsh says, leaving a somewhat shocked silence.

"Just one warning. If you are caught purposely abusing your tribute, depriving them of something in the arena because you simply don't like them, you will be punished, severely. You are meant to be their friends, to help them. Remember, it wasn't the children that did this to us, it was the adults. The children are a way of getting through to them", he says.

Tension is very evident in the room, nobody wants to be the one that screws up.

"Anyways, now it's time for the fun bit. I am now going to assign each of you, the District you will tend to", says Welsh, breaking the silence. Everybody begins talking to each other, saying which District they want, which one they hate, which one scares them, all types of nonsense.

"I hope I don't get District 6, they won't be exactly the nicest bunch to us", says Regina.

"I'm fine with District 6, it's District 5 that scares me, I would get stabbed!" I claim, earning a nod of approval from Regina.

"Okay, the way we shall do this is the good old fashioned 'pick it from the hat", says Welsh.

"In one hat, each one of your names is on a slip of paper. In the second hat, is the District's. Let's begin!" He says, with a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"The first Escort is, Miss Fury Hide", says Welsh. The woman directly across from me puts her hands to her mouth, breathing heavily in anticipation.

"The District Miss Hide will escort is... District 8", says Welsh. Fury lets out a breath of relief, as she earns a reasonably harmless District. Everybody claps for her, secretly loathing her luck.

"Next is Mr Drake Maxwell", says Welsh. That was the guy who asked about what Welsh claimed was the Reaping.

"Mr Maxwell has earned himself... District 4", says Welsh. Maxwell appears quite happy with that, and everybody applauds him.

"Next is Miss Jude Heltic, she will be escorting... District 10". Jude appears uncertain of if that's good or not, District 10 are quite unpredictable.

"Next is Miss Regina Curt", he says. Regina tenses up next to me, holding her breath.

"She has been given... District 7". Regina loosens up. District 7 were a good score. They seem to be cooperative enough, Welsh's Peacekeepers are doing quite a good job of keeping them contained.

"Miss Nealt Forestt. You have received... District 3". Nealt almost leaps with excitement. She got the best District, the most peaceful, the smartest, the District we could be least afraid of. People clap for her, however shoot her a few nasty looks.

"Mr Polter White, you have received... District 11". District 11 are under strict rule, it's unlikely they will be very rebellious. Or dangerous.

"Miss July Frielt, you shall escort... District 12". The weakest District. She would probably benefit from having District 12.

"Mr Ron Agett, you will escort... District 9". Another District that would be good to have. They won't be in the position to hurt him at all.

"Miss Glade Klipp, your District is... District 2". She got those betraying bastards. I feel sorry for Glade.

"Mr Heath Donfarth, you are responsible for... District 1". District 1 won't be harmful to him, but very powerful in the games.

"So, that leaves two. Miss Tiffany Altite, and Miss Isla Pristine. One will get District 5, and the other shall get District 6", says Welsh. My spirits drop. I didn't realise I hadn't been called yet, even worse I didn't realise they were the two remaining District's. I must get District 6, I must! At least this way, either one I get should be powerful in the competition.

"The person to get District 5, is... Miss Isla Pristine".

"WHAT!? Oh dear, they're going to kill me!", Isla screams. I feel some sense of relief, District 6 is not as bad as District 5.

"So that leaves Miss Tiffany Altite with District 6", says Welsh, throwing the hat to an Avox. Isla bursts into tears and buries her face into her hands. Heath, who sits next to her, begins to pat her back and comfort her.

"You will receive another letter in about two months, exactly three days before the Reaping's. I wish all of you luck", says Welsh. Regina gives me a sympathetic look. I don't blame her, I was just given the leaders of the Rebellion after all.

**A/N: So, things are moving a bit slow, so I decided to keep up the prologue, to fill in the space, and update the story to hopefully get a few more submissions. Let me know what you though to this chapter, and if you would want to see more of Tiffany and Regina in the future. Reviews really do help to let me know if people actually are reading this, and if I am writing well enough. **

**Anyways, let me know if I should do a part five to the prologue!**


	5. Prologue Part 5 - Blood and Battle Scars

Prologue: Part 5 - Blood and Battle Scars

**Augrillian Shire, 26, D6:**

This is right. It is required. They need a fighting chance. All of them. All of the children and young adults standing in front of me. There must be over a thousand of them, all chatting amongst themselves. I must admit, I am quite surprised at the turn out. Of course, the message had to be subtle, start it by speaking to a couple, than let the word of mouth spread throughout the District.

It isn't exactly like we can just talk about it openly, put out posters and everything. Thanks to Welsh's Peacekeeper bunch. I should have come to when they invaded, gotten both Hope and I away from that wreck of a place. Then again, I thought Hope was dead. No, here she is standing next to me, hand in my own. She needs to stick by me at all times, I'm kind of responsible for her now.

Many of the kids in front of me, are most likely orphans, homeless, probably not even from District 6. Many came from District 9, ever since the Capitol blew up their life's work, their food source, their income. District 4, because they felt they weren't doing enough, they wanted to help the Rebels. Or any other District because they wanted to fight.

Now they're all trapped here. Inter-district travel having been banned and all. So that's why I have come up with a solution. We want to get our kids home safely, or at least one of them. So I have done this. Where all of us stand, is one of the abandoned weapon facilities. This one was kept quite secret and the Peacekeepers never discovered it. The ones that they did, the rebels had claimed the weapons beforehand.

I decide to go through what the biggest Districts will be for the games.

District 1 is no doubt a challenge, they're reasonably strong, they would also have quite the advantage with the Capitol, due to their alliance during the war.

However, District 2 is a complete wreck, the majority of their fighters were taken down by District 13 and us. The rest of them copped it from the Capitol. Thanks to the secrets they revealed to us.

District 3, those lap-dog bastards. Regardless of their lack of physical abilities, their brains are enough to make them incredibly dangerous. Sure enough, they will be not only a threat, but a major target.

District 4 are somewhat, dangerous. The whole reason being that nobody knows their capabilities. They did not partake in the war at all, so they haven't really received any major blows. I would assume from the lack of losses that they are probably in good shape, seeing as they know how to swim, fish and probably kill animals, and humans alike.

District 5 are undeniably one of the biggest threats in this competition. They are extremely unpredictable and their two tributes could be very dangerous, or possibly have some sort of empathy, as they were close allies in the war.

District 7 are no doubt extremely capable of doing damage. However, I believe that the tributes are capable of coming to some sort of agreement due to how close the two of our Districts are. No doubt that District 7, 5 and us will be the powerhouses of the games. Then again, never underestimate your opponents.

District 8, shouldn't be a big deal to handle, I don't believe they are that physical, but may have the looks that the Capitol approves of.

District 9, the poor lot of them are probably very weak. I would be very surprised if they did any good.

District 10 could be quite beefy, they are usually quite strong and kept back District 1's forces during the war, which in itself is not a bad effort.

District 11 I haven't heard a peep out of. They remained neutral during the war, any contact that was made to them was rejected, however I don't think it was them doing that.

And last of all, District 12. Well. What can I say? Not much they did during the war, likely not to do much in these games.

From the looks of it, District 6 are looking pretty good at winning the Hunger Games. I raise my hand to draw the attention my way. Almost instantly the whole group of children die down, possibly due to their curiosity.

"I see that more than enough people have heard about our little meeting," I call out loudly so they can all hear me. I wait a second before continuing.

"Now I'm sure by this point, all of you have heard about these, 'Hunger Games' that are taking place in a couple of months, yes?" I ask. I receive several nods to confirm my question.

"Well us adults, all want to give each one of you a fighting chance, if of course you are selected. Of course, only one of you can come home, but we intend on achieving that," I say firmly.

"Now you may be asking, who is this bloke? I am Augrillian Shire, and welcome to the Augrillian Training Academy," I say, motioning to my surroundings.

The large room has been setup with weapon racks, holding a vast array of weaponry, obstacle and parkour courses, fighting simulations, boxing arenas, weightlifting stations and so much more. This is a facility where the rebels trained.

"Here you will train, build up your skill with weaponry, stimulate your physical abilities, and prepare yourselves for the Capitol's game".

"You are welcome to come here whenever you like, but this cannot spread onto the knowledge of the Peacekeepers, is that understood?" I state. This time they chant back with a yes, obviously hyped up.

"Children, you may begin!" I call out. The response is immediate. The crowd flood the room, flocking around the weapon rack, programming simulations, attempting parkour and obstacle courses. I admire put my hands on my wrist, beaming at my surroundings as I admire what I have achieved. Suddenly, I feel a tug on my shirt. I almost forgot, I am accompanied by Hope.

"Augrillian, can I try some weapons?" She asks, almost bouncing up and down on her toes.

"What are you talking about? Of course not, you're only ten!" I exclaim.

"And that means, I will be twelve in two years, eligible for the 3rd Hunger Games," she says, crossing her arms and pouting. This is something I didn't consider. Hope will be eligible for the games in two years time. Emotions flood my chest, causing me to turn away. I am torn, it's dangerous, but more dangerous than letting her go into the Hunger Games under trained? I scold myself, that thinking like that is stupid and there is only a small chance that she will be Reaped. However, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. That's a chance I cannot afford to take.

"Okay, fine. Go ahead, but I have to stay by your side the whole time," I say. She nods excitedly and takes my hand,

"Come on, I want to try it out," she says while pulling me over to the weapon rack.

"What weapon do you want to learn?" I ask hesitantly.

"That one!" She says pointing at her choice. The steel shines from the bright light, the handle is smooth, with engravings of complex patterns.

"That? You want to learns how to use the Scythe?" I ask dumbfounded.

"Yes I do! Do you know how to use it Augrillian?" She asks, excitement gleaming in her eyes. I sigh in disbelief, mainly at the fact that I am even doing this.

"Well, I actually do know how," I say, not wanting to lie. Hope hates it when I lie.

Instead of aiming for the motionless, unresponsive targets, I head toward the ATZ, the Advanced Targeting Zone. This place really tests your skills and were used heavily by the rebels. I press a button and the box like structure, made of weapon proof glass, fully rises above the floor. I step inside and stand in the centre and watch the counter go down.

3, 2, 1. I hear a beep and wait. The first sign of movement cops the scythe through the head, I notice that it's days D9F on its chest. I programmed the ATZ to use tributes, thus D9F standing for District 9 female. The next I hear running at me from behind. I duck on one leg and sweep behind me with the other, knocking D11M off it's feet. D2F dives at me and I swing my scythe upwards so it sinks into its chin. I quickly pull it out, step on the lifeless body of D11M as D2F slumps onto the floor, and do a windmill so it hits D4M's head, right in the middle.

I quickly pull the scythe out, grab D4M's weapon, a spear, and thrust it into the recovering D11M's head. I pull the spear out and throw it with such force that the incoming D6F is hit with such force, that it flies backwards until it hits the wall of the ATZ. I put my scythe behind my back and grab four tomahawks from the belt on D2F, two in each hand, as four dummies circle me with spears. I make a cross with my arms, out in front of me and thrust them too the side as hard as I can, letting each tomahawk go very precisely. I know each one will hit its target before it hits them, I hear four thunks to confirm that. D1M, D1F, D7M and D8M all slump to the ground.

D10F runs at me and I propel my arm out in front of me, to the right, so that my scythe hits the him in the side of the head, flat out. I grab the body of D10F and use it as a shield for the four bowmen dummies shooting at me. I spot them as D5M, D9M, D3M and D3F. I throw one, two, three, and four tomahawks so they each get hit and fall of the ledge they were standing on.

I drop the D10F and grab the scythe. I see three remaining dummies, D12F, D7F and D8M. I throw a tomahawk at D12F who had started running at me. She dies. D8M has gotten to me and is just about to stab me with his spear, when I swing my arm and chop his head clean off. He slumps to the floor and I notice the last one running at me. I throw the scythe and it hits it square in the chest. I watch it get thrown backwards like it was tied to the back of a car, landing lifeless against the wall of the ATZ.

The simulation shuts down and I notice the large crowd watching me, struck with complete awe. This, is what they will become. This is what will win.

**A/N: So everyone made it clear to continue the Prologue's. I figured we would draw it back to the District's POV with Augrillian and Hope. So how did I do? Feedback would be very much appreciated. Is there anything in particular that I should write about? **

**Remember, new readers I still need submissions! Go to my profile for a description of the districts so you can implement that information into your submissions, and the list of what district places I would rather you submitted to!**

**Thankyou for reading and drop a review! :D**

**-Ares**


	6. Ancora: Lone Wolf

**Ancora Siegle, 17, D9:**

You would think, that an everyday farmgirl would be quite harmless, right? Well according to these, bastards that call themselves 'Peacekeepers', they are the worst people in the world. They make me laugh, just watching how they act. Thinking that they are so superior, that they own the District because that slime ball known as Welsh, gave them a title and a status.

The thought almost makes me laugh. Some peace they are giving. Apparently their way of introducing us to 'peace', is by rounding us up, one by one to be escorted to the Town Square. Perhaps they think we are going to run away, hide, skip this Reaping thing that has been talked about for the past two months. This is regardless of the fact that they made it perfectly clear what the consequences were for not attending the Reaping.

They even showed us physical examples, I wonder if that man ever recovered? I know his wife didn't, God bless her soul. I feel a rough hand grab my left shoulder and push me forward. I see stars while I recover from the knock I got from head butting my, dear friend, Faith.

"Great service! I'm going to give you five stars on your review," I snap sarcastically at the Peacekeeper that pushed me. He stares at me as he continues to push the kids that line up behind me.

"Careful Ancora, you don't want to get yourself killed!" Faith scolds. I laugh mockingly at her innocence.

"Oh dear Faith, they aren't going to kill me, not when this Reaping shit is about to take place. It would fail to prove the point they are trying to put across," I say as if talking to a five year old child. Faith just shakes her head, appearing flustered by the whole situation.

"Guys, will you keep it down? We're almost there," pleads Hope, knowing that there really isn't much of a chance of shutting me and my big mouth up. In fact, it makes me want to talk more.

So how did I get into this mess? I could have been in District 6, with the majority of the District 9 kids. I probably wouldn't be as thin as a stick like I am now. I probably would actually have a job to earn money. Not much room for work here at the moment. I glance at what remnants remain of our source of income, our body fuel, our life source. Some of the ashes have been blown away by the soft District 9 breeze. However, the wind can't do much for the craters from the bombs, and the charred stalks embedded into the ground.

Nor can it do anything for the piles of bones and skulls, still unclaimed and broken. I wonder if any of those belong to my brother or mother.

"What is taking these demented morons so damn long?" I complain, stamping my foot impatiently. No one responds. Really, are they ignoring me because of what I was saying before? Wow, I didn't think they would be that butthurt about it. Then again, they're probably quite stressed out about our current situation.

However, when I look up the front, there is quite a commotion going on.

"Hey, what's goi-?"

"Shh," I get hushed by Faith almost instantly. What kind of pandemonium could be this interesting? One of the Peacekeepers has gotten up in one of the kids face, he looks to be about fourteen. The Peacekeeper's face is about to explode it is that red, sweat pouring down like water.

The kid looks downright scared, blocking his face from the Peacekeeper's rain of spit, erupting from his mouth.

"You think you can try to sneak in SHIT, like THIS?!" Screams the Peacekeeper, holding up a little switchblade he must have found on the boy.

"N-no, I swear I-I didn't know i-it was in my p-pocket," he splutters in defence.

"Bullshit".

Nobody is prepared, for the sudden blast that erupts from the gun. I didn't even see him take it out, it all happened so fast, yet, it appears so slow. Everybody screams as soon as it happens, most people in the vicinity, including Faith, Hope and I, get covered in a downpour of crimson blood. The boy doesn't react, he stands there, mouth agape, eyes wide open. The bullet hole in his forehead begins to bleed around the exterior, dripping down to his eyebrow. The blood stream follows the carving of his skull, around the eyebrow, and in between his eye and nose.

He teeters over and lands with a thud on his back, staring into the sky lifelessly. Faith and Hope begin to cry, just as the other kids have started to do. Yet, I fail to fall to the curse known as sadness. The tears never penetrate my sockets, in fact, they remain bone dry. I am purely shocked. I haven't moved a muscle since that just happened.

_That could have been you!_

I've been too much of an idiot to realise, that no matter how much chaos I converse, or how much defiance I conjure, that we are no longer our own. We lost, we are controlled, we belong to the Capitol. They aren't afraid to go to any length to prove how they are the superior ones, the true rulers of Panem.

I don't want to think it. I don't want them to own me. When I first heard about the Hunger Games, I honestly thought it was a bluff that they wanted to frighten us, that they surely wouldn't be that cruel to us.

They just killed an innocent child. Why would they be joking about this then? There is nothing we can do and they know it. No, not if I can help it. So be it if I get chosen to go to these games. I haven't got anything left to lose. They burned the crop fields, they killed most of my family, drove my dad to suicide, created these brutal games.

It hits me almost as if it was a bullet. I still have my dignity, they have not claimed that yet. I haven't been punished for my actions as of yet, to defy them. They haven't claimed back all of that money I stole from them. Nor the Capitol flags I tore off of the flagpoles. They certainly have not scrubbed off my most meaningful work.

I can see it from here, on the side of the mayor's mansion.

Spray painted on the building reads the words: _freedom cannot be contained, the rebellion will never stop until triumph._

This fills me with a new energy, a new desire, almost a craving. They think they can contain my freedom? Well, they can suck my ass.

I'll show them, nobody will degrade me. I almost hope I can get Reaped, so I can show them in person.

"Ancora! Are you okay?" Hope frantically asks as she shakes my whole body.

"Woah! Calm down Hope, I'm fine!" I say, managing to pry her arms off of me.

"You were twitching, we thought you were having a mental breakdown," exclaims Faith.

"Hey you! Get your ass over here!" Barks the Peacekeeper, the same one that shot that kid.

Hope and Faith instantly obey him, scrambling to make it to him. I simply roll my eyes and walk reluctantly.

"You better improve your attitude, you little slut!" He snaps as I stroll past him.

"Fuck you," I shoot back as I hop onto the trailer truck that is already filled to the brink with children. Before he can say anything back, the trailer roars to life and begins to move forward. As I turn to the others, they all stare at me, some are frightened, while others are bewildered. A few actually look inspired. Of course, Faith and Hope are both staring at me as if I have some highly contagious disease.

I roll my eyes and cross my arms.

"What now?" I say, trying to add the unmistakeable tone of mock whinging.

"How could you do that? After what that guy just did to that kid," Faith asks. I look her at her dead in the eye, and shake my head in bewilderment.

"What happened to you Faith? You used to be so lively, you would risk anything to defy those District 0 fucktards. Now you're so... Cautious, and boring," I exclaim. She opens her mouth to respond, but backs down when she can't think of anything to say.

"Ancora, we've all seen a lot, we've all been through a lot, and we've all lost a lot. What is the point of this attitude anymore, it isn't going to get us anywhere but trouble," Hope speaks up for Faith.

"I don't believe this! You two are letting their dominance scare you, what we swore would never happen if we lost the war?" I cry. Faith lowers her head in sadness while Hope sighs.

"I thought I was capable, but I'm just not like you Ancora, I'm not strong-willed, I'm a coward," Hope says glumly.

It feels like I have just lost a limb, or part of my soul. Learning that Hope and Faith aren't with me anymore, just makes me feel helpless. Both of my brothers are dead, my mom is dead, my dad is dead, my friends have in a way abandoned me. I really am alone now.

**A/N: and here we begin. Let me introduce our first tribute, Ancora. Let me know what you think of Ancora, and who do you think will be next? Full tribute list is on my profile. Future chapters will be longer and I hope you enjoyed Ancora.**

**Drop a review :D**


	7. Whent: No Chances Left

**Whent Lush, 14, D12:**

The Peacekeepers are unusually civil. I mean, I would have expected a bunch of freaks from the Capitol to be kind of, brutal. However, they simply open the gate to this trailer we are in and motion for us to come out. I guess nobody wants to take any chances, so one by one, each one of us hop out into the humid District 12 air.

This side of town isn't as bad as the Seam, at least there aren't particles of coal, blowing around everywhere and making my already grotty skin blackened. The person behind me hops out and bumps into me, forcing me to stumble forward a bit.

I turn to see a girl with somewhat bushy hair and chapped lips rubbing her head, which she obviously hit when she bumped into me. She looks at me and gives me a greasy look.

"You know, we're meant to be signing in, not standing and admiring the town," she says bluntly. With that, she brushes past me and continues on her way. Someone's down in the dumps, aren't we all though? Getting sent to a battle to the death with a bunch of kids from District's we are meant to be friends with doesn't sound very appealing to me.

Well, that's not the case with the first three districts, especially District 3. Wouldn't mind if someone smashed one of their arrogant skulls in.

I begin making my way to the stations they have set up, with one of those Peacekeepers behind each. The majority are women for some reason. Around the outskirts of the Town Square stand Peacekeepers with menacing looking weaponry, blocking anyone from leaving the Square. The adults have been located to a temporary stand that rests behind where the children stand.

The whole place is depressing, the weather, the people, even the atmosphere. All of us teens trudge through the muddy ground towards the sign in, once we go past there is no going back.

"Come on! Move it along people," shouts one of the Peacekeepers. I don't hesitate, his gun is quite an ugly sight to withhold. I try to spot anyone I recognise, without luck. Not really many people left that I know in this District. They're all dead or have gone off to District 6 or 7 to fight. I would have, if I had not been too young.

Either way, it's too late for that now. In fact, it's too late to turn back towards the trailer truck. I have reached one of the Peacekeepers that is taking our names. I gulp when I see that she is taking blood samples as well. Why do they need our blood? Our blood is precious, one of the only things that keeps me alive in fact. Food is quite scarce, rainwater doesn't taste the best, and my body is very prone to sickness.

The person in front of me, a girl of about twelve, starts panicking when the peacekeeper woman grabs her hand.

"No no no, please! I don't want to be cut, my brother died from a cut," she pleads, trying to pull her arm back. The Peacekeeper rolls her eyes and jams her finger into some device. I hear a little tick sound and the girl screams quite suddenly.

The woman pulls the device and starts writing random numbers that appear on the device. The girl whimpers at the little dot of blood on her finger tip that begins to grow slightly by each passing second.

"Alright, next!" The Peacekeeper calls as she shoves the girl forward. I step up to the desk and nervously glance at the device.

"Name?" She asks.

"Whent Lush, and that's spelt W-H-E-N-T, haha," I chuckle nervously under the fiery glare of the Peacekeeper. After a few seconds, the glare becomes uncomfortable and I lower my eyes and stare at the floor. She types my name into her computer and then scribbles it quickly on the list.

"Fourteen?" She mumbles while she scribbles my name down.

"Yes, actually I turn fifteen in a week!" I say smiling. My smile falters when she stares at me like I'm an annoying sibling.

"Alright, give me your hand," she says while she rolls her eyes. As I give her my hand, she yawns and picks up the device. My heart starts beating profusely. I never liked needles.

_Come on Whent, you can do this! It'll be over in no ti- Argh!_

I bite my inner cheek so I don't allow any word to escape. Oh no, that's blood I taste. Maybe I bit to hard.

"Okay you're done, next!" She grunts as she shoves my shoulder forward. I instantly raise my finger to my mouth and start to suck at it, the stinging pain only brings back memories.

I'm not quite sure where to go, so I look at each row. The first row has the girl from the line, I assume the row is for twelve year olds. She and quite a few other girls are crying while the boys look sick to the stomach. I go to the third row where I recognise a couple of people as fourteen year olds. Only the ones from the Seam, the ones that live with me on the streets.

I exchange a few awkward nods before we all stare off in our own directions. I guess nobody is in a talkative mood, I sure am not. The wait seems to be the most stressful part so far. I know the odds of me getting picked are very slim, however that slim chance stands out more than the extraordinary odds of me not getting reaped, this just proves that I think of the worst outcome in these situations.

I haven't realised how silent it actually is. The adults watch us, solemn expressions on their faces, knowing that the Capitol could kill them without lifting a finger if they tried to do anything. I'm almost thankful when the Reaping begins.

"Ahem," the Mayor mutters into the microphone. To this day I don't even know his name, I simply refer to him as 'the Mayor'.

"Welcome everyone, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, to the First Ever Annual Hunger Games Reaping!" He says, attempting to act excited. He comes across as exaggerating.

"Today is a special day, as this marks the start of a new order for Panem, peace is expected to be achieved by this," he says, continuing his energetic act.

"So, we have been given a Treaty! Many years ago, the continent known as North America fell, droughts, storms, multiple disasters wiped us off the map and cut contact from the rest of the world. Out of the little that was left, the nation of Panem rose," he says, reading from a sheet of paper.

"I think we all know what happened after, so let's not go into the nitty gritty stuff and let's get onto the exciting part," he says nervously, trying to keep up the charade. Some of the surrounding Peacekeepers begin to mutter to each other, talking amongst themselves. Was there more that the Mayor was supposed to say? His speech felt very rushed, and he didn't mention the war or the Capitol's triumph. Is that what the Capitol wanted? Yet he refused to do so. This leaves me quite confused until the Mayor begins to speak again.

"Now, we have a very special guest from the Capitol, to pick our lucky boy and girl to partake in this truly special event. Please welcome, Miss July Frielt," he finishes and then backs down to his seat. A significantly colourful woman trots onto stage and waves her arm at the crowd.

"Hello District 12! How are you feeling today?" She squeals, obviously quite delighted by her job. She earns nothing but silence in response.

"Well I'm sure you are all doing quite fine! Now it is my job, to select one of you young men or women to accompany me back to the Capitol, where you shall prepare for the Hunger Games, a truly honourable role!" She squeaks.

"However, before we start things off, I have been instructed to provide you with this fantastic video, on the history of our great nation of Panem," she says almost jumping with enthusiasm. Both the crowd and I groan, this is taking much too long. I decide that I really don't care for the video, so I examine July instead.

She is quite young, I think she might be early twenties. She has ridiculously pink hair that hurts my eyes to look at, skin so tanned she appears almost yellow, and unnatural pink eyes. The thing that is most 'unusual' about her, is that even as she scans the crowd, her eyes aren't full of absolute hate, like most of the Capitol people. It's almost as if she enjoys our presence.

Before long, the video shuts down and July becomes fired up again.

"Now, we don't want any more distractions, so let's begin shall we?" She says, using her arms to emphasise her interactions. The crowd tenses as she walks over to the female ball first. The girls in my row all hold their breath, some bite their nails.

July doesn't waste any time and takes a slip of paper straight out of the ball. It's so silent I could probably hear a pin drop from across the Town Square. July unfolds the slip and reveals all.

"And the first ever District 12 female tribute and the first ever District 12 tribute is... Dana Woodman!"

I don't recognise the name, however there is a bit of commotion over at the sixteen year old section. Some of the kids move, so I can assume Dana can make her way to the stage. Its a few moments before anything does happen, eventually the Peacekeepers begin to make their way over to the area. They reach it and start making a fuss while Dana pushes them back.

"Fuck off! I can walk myself."

I recognise that voice. Then I finally see Dana herself. It's the girl that accidentally head butted me earlier. The one with the bushy hair and chapped lips. She gets up on the stage and folds her arms next to July.

"Congratulations dear, this is an honourable position you're in," says July, trying to please Dana. Dana simply stares at her as if she was insane.

"Alright! Moving on," says July, appearing quite intimidated. She trots over to the boys bowl and quickly plucks a slip of paper. The tension has returned, except this time it is more apparent for me.

"The first ever District 12 male tribute, is... Whent Lush!"

I've been cold many times living on the streets. When it's bitter winter weather, I have a constant chill down my spine, that no matter how warm I try to get, it won't go away. That's how I feel this moment. At first, the words did not compute. I didn't realise my name was Whent Lush, in fact, I started looking around for the unfortunate soul.

I'm that unfortunate soul. I'm a soul that has just been reaped, and will be reaped in a weeks' time by death himself. My thoughts become cloudy, my vision foggy, my heart pounds in my ears. None of this compares to the hyperventilation that has just begun. The people around me have worked out that it was me that was reaped, every eye is on me.

My brain begins to shut down, I can't think straight, so what do I do? The same thing I always do when I'm in danger. I turn and run.

I knock over a few people as I run. The thud of my footsteps is so distant compared to the deafening beat of my heart. For a moment, I have a sense of freedom, I feel free. But that is before I run right into the Peacekeeper. I bounce off his chest and stumble back, managing to regain my balance. He grabs my arm and drags me to the stage. I don't do anything, I just let him do it. All of the energy has been drained from my body.

I find myself swaying next to July, who appears to be trying to talk to me. Dana stares at me, however her stare is pitiful, perhaps she remembers me. July gives up and addresses the crowd, thanking them for being such a terrific audience.

"We look forward to seeing Dana and Whent in the arena, let's hope that one of them can get back home safely," she says, holding up both mine and Dana's hand. The Peacekeepers begin to escort me to the Justice Hall, however my mind is in a completely different place.

They might as well book my coffin now, what chance could I possibly have against twenty three other teenagers in a battle to the death?

**A/N: Next chapter, woooo! What are your thoughts? Be sure to let me know! Next chapter should be out soon.**


	8. Naomi: Weeping Away the Woes

**Naomi Ennedes, 13, D11:**

No matter what I do, the grip of the Peacekeepers doesn't lessen, if anything it gets tighter. This only causes my sobbing to become louder. Through my feeble teary eyed vision, I can see the silent crowd staring at me, being dragged helplessly away from them.

_This is insane! They can't do this, I'll never get out of this alive._

I produce a sharp intake of breath at the sudden knock of the stairs to my ankle. I let out a cry as the pain begins to throb. I spot the other person that got reaped, Quinn I think. He is instead of being dragged away, being simply escorted off. That may be because he has the ability to contain himself, at the moment. I'm just a complete wreck.

A blast of musty air hits me as we enter the Justice Building. Funny, I would have thought that the classiest building in District 11 would have smelled nicer. The smell is the least of my concerns right now. I am bombarded by flashes of what I assume to be cameras. The constant flurry of voices isn't a very appealing sound either.

I can't make out much, however I think that they are reporters. Why they are allowed to be here, I have no clue.

"Naomi! Naomi! What is it like to be reaped for the first ever Hunger Games?"

"How far do you think you'll make it?"

"Are you scared? Excited?"

"What are your thoughts on Quinn? Is he a threat?"

I feel like I'm shutting down, the echoes in my head from these people drain my energy. They don't stop, they keep going. The Peacekeepers do nothing to block me from view, the whole of Panem is going to see me bawling my eyes out.

I am washed over by a fit of rage.

"Shut up, shut up, just SHUT. UP!" I scream at them. They go silent, possibly confused, maybe somewhat terrified. I must look insane right now. Before the crowd can react, the Peacekeepers throw me into a room. My back thuds against the wall, causing all the air to escape from my body. As I look up, the doors slide shut with a loud crashing sound.

_They're locking me up! They think I'm crazy! _

There is no light, no windows, and just complete darkness. The air smells sour and mouldy, as if it hasn't been cleaned or even occupied in years. My breathing begins to pick up, my heart thumping so loud that it can probably be heard from outside of this room.

I leap at where the door was and smash my fists against them, screaming my lungs out. Soon enough, my hands are in exceptional pain and are likely to be red raw, if I could see my hands that is. I let out one more sob before slumping down against the door.

What have I become? This isn't me, I'm not some psychotic freak, I'm meant to be my quiet and contained self. I've never snapped like that, hell I've never cried like that. This is the Capitol's fault. They have already begun to change me, dehumanise me, I haven't even gotten to the Capitol yet and gone into these horrendous games. The idea scares me, that they can get me just from introducing the Hunger Games as a now compulsory event.

A sudden rumble causes me to tumble to the floor. Sounds of humming and metals clunking and mashing together begin to emerge. I don't understand, what's happening? Are they scanning me or something? The feeling of slowly ascending up crosses out that guess.

I am forced to cover my eyes as the entrance of light appears. Little by little my eyes adjust to the light. The doors have opened. I am no longer in the Justice Building, or maybe I am? The outside is definitely not the same as before. I may be on another level of the building.

The figures that are here to greet me aren't as warming as the light. The Peacekeepers grab my arms and continue to drag me. This time, I don't complain, or sob, or scream. I simply let them. All my energy has been drained from the panic, and although I hate to admit it, the fact that there I'm not trapped in a tiny room anymore does calm me down.

They open a large oak door and without hesitation, throw me inside. They could be a little more careful, I am only thirteen. Of course they don't care, the amount of children these supposed 'Peacekeepers' have killed, mutilated, possibly even raped, is horrific. Most of the time they aren't even above the age of ten.

I have to admit, the slightest inkling at the back of my mind made me think they might try to rape me. This theory is terminated when the door is slammed shut behind me. Besides trip to this level of the building, this is the first time I have been by myself. What am I to do? I have already cried all my tears, screamed my fears, and caused bleeding to ears. Do I simply sit and wait for the Capitol to come for me? Claim me for their own games of entertainment?

In fact, why am I here? I cannot recall why, maybe because everything has been a blur after Polter called my name. The room is possibly the most expensive thing I have ever been in, or seen for that matter. Lush carpets of purple and curtains of red. Almost everything has a golden yellow accent. The window is very large, overlooking the Town Square.

There goes the opportunity for escape, if I somehow made it out if the window, all the Peacekeepers below would see me. Despite the immeasurable odds of depression and slavery, the scenery of District 11 is so beautiful. I have never actually gotten to see the meadows from this high before. The flowers are very vibrant and the sky is a bright blue. There aren't any clouds today, they're all in my cloudy thoughts.

The door opens from behind and I shut my eyes. Time to be whisked away by those monsters again. However the rough grasp of the Peacekeepers never comes. The door shuts softly and the person coughs slightly to get my attention. I ship myself around to see my friend, Emmy.

Even in her state of blotched pink skin on her face from crying, she still holds her obvious beauty, tanned skin, oak coloured hair, and those blue eyes that are shining with tears. The odds were quite low, for out of the whole of District 11's mostly African American ethnicity that we became friends. We draw many looks, people dubbing us as the two 'white gals'.

It looks as if she has tried to pull herself together for me, but as she sees my face she breaks down in tears. We fall into each other's arms, her sobbing into my shoulder and me patting her on the back. After a couple of minutes, she manages to regain her normal state.

"Naomi, we can get you out of this, we can riot, we ca-," she is cut off when I tell her to quiet down.

"No, Emmy that would be a horrible idea, they'll kill all of you," I say, shaking my head.

"Then you have to win this! You can do it, you're smart, you're fast, you can live off of the land," she says, listing off everything that can help me win.

"What am I to do if a kid from District 5 comes at me? I'll stand no chance," I say, sighing.

"You will, you will find a way, you always do," she says smiling at me.

"Like what?" I ask. She holds out something that makes me gasp.

"Do what you have to do," she says intently, placing it in my hand. Before I can respond, the Peacekeepers brave in and begin to escort Emmy out.

"You can do it Naomi, I know you can," she calls out, the thud of the door following her words. In almost a second later, the door opens again. My mother charges at me and scoops me up in a hug. Possibly for my sake, she doesn't cry. I don't want her too, she can't. She knows that if she cries, it will make me think that I won't be coming home.

"Naomi," she says weakly.

"No matter what happens, we will always love you," she whispers.

_We?_

My father steps out from behind her. I didn't even notice that he was here as well. That's the norm, my mother's presence is usually enough to fill the room. My mother moves aside for my dad. I leap into his strong muscular arms as he embraces me. He doesn't say anything, he never does say much.

He pats me on the back as I hug him tightly. My mother hugs me now as well, so it's a big family hug. It ends and I look at my Parents for what could be the last time.

"Now, we aren't going to say anything, because we know you are coming home, you're gonna make it," says my mother.

"I know," I say as I hold out what Emmy gave me. Both of them look at me confused.

"What is that?" asks my mother.

"It's Nightlock," I say.

"It's what is going to win me this game."

**A/N: I am so sorry everyone! I started school again on Monday and I had so much homework to finish off that I didn't do on the holidays. Not only that, but they kept giving me more stuff to do everytime I finished some. So in the future, if there isn't an update for a few days to a week, it is because I am incredibly busy with school. It is exam term so it will be more busy then the last. On a brighter note, tribute interactions are going to be starting up next chapter! It will be the start of the train rides and then the next chapter will be watching the Reaping's, so you will get a glimpse of everybody. What did you think? I will hopefully update soon.**


	9. Nero: Incureable

**Nero Koeing, 18, D2:**

My head is pushed down by the Peacekeeper, as if I didn't know how to get into the car myself. I cringe at the sudden pain that it causes me in my right hip bone. Of course, the Peacekeepers don't know about it. Nobody does, except that fucking doctor.

_Oh it'll be alright Nero, we'll fix it up Nero, you will live a long healthy life Nero. _

Bullshit. Only making the dreams of ever living a normal life further away from reach. It's not going to be possible anyways, now that I have to participate in these 'Hunger Games', I think that is what they are called.

They expect me to try and kill a bunch of children, with this horrible burden that has been placed upon me. I mean sure, I've killed many cats and birds, anything that I can get onto the plate. I don't think I can kill a human, as much as I would need to. It doesn't matter, I won't be on this planet much longer, regardless of if I was reaped or not.

The car erupts to life, slowly beginning to move. Soon enough we are speeding towards the train station. I've never actually been in a car before. In fact, I've never been in something that physically moves me without myself having to move. However, the fascination of the vehicle isn't enough to pierce the awkwardness in the car.

Ladonna is sitting to my right, accompanied by two Peacekeepers. Don't get me wrong, I feel a lot safer that they are here. She is a giant, I'm confident her hands are the size of my head. She got quite angry when she was reaped, but I have no doubt she may be making it back to District 2.

Glade sits in the front passenger seat, trying to subtlety look back at us. She is, incredibly nervous. I don't blame her, Ladonna sits right behind her.

"So, are you guys excited?" Glade asks. I'm assuming that she is trying to make conversation.

"Think, how would you feel if you were being sent to your death?" I ask.

"Well, I-uh..."

"Exactly," I say, turning to look out the window.

"Come on guys, think optimistically, you never know, you might just make it out of this and become rich," she says, beaming at us.

"I have cancer and she is a nutcase," I say bluntly, leaving a shocked silence.

"Wh-what?!" Says Glade, turning to face me directly.

"You heard me," I reply. She looks appalled.

"No this is completely unacceptable. This is unfair, we will get you looked at," she says frantically.

"Hurry up, we need to get to the infirmary," she snaps at the driver. He appears quite confused, however picks up the pace. I don't get my hopes up, what are they going to do? For a piece of scum from District 2, they don't care about us.

The car slows down, only to be surrounded by more Capitol reporters. I don't know what to do, I consider covering my face, however that won't work out in the long run. They would think less of me. Ladonna appears aggravated by it, however her Peacekeepers are still close by.

"Alright, come on guys, move move move!" Glade squeaks excitedly. I suppose that she is mainly excited to get out of District 2. The door is opened and instantly the Peacekeepers begin to hold off the reporters, who are struggling to get past. I hear my name called many times as I limp through the path that has been made for me.

I refuse my eyes to catch any of their stares. The stares that someone would give to a wild animal, or their next course of dinner. It disgusts me. The door for the train carraige opens as soon as I get to it. I step in into pure amazement. Ladonna steps in behind me and even she gasps.

"We get to stay here?" Ladonna asks, simply dumbfounded.

"Indeed you do," chirps Glade, walking past both Ladonna and I. I don't know what to think, I am truly sickened by the fact that they get to live life like this, however I'm still astonished at the interior. It beats the Justice Building any day.

Navy carpet coats the floor, sleek white and red walls give the touch of a modernised design. An enormous TV hangs from the wall, curving inwards. A plush red sofa faces it, along with a smooth wooden coffee table. To the left of the room, a large oak table, filled to the brink with different assortments of food.

I have to admit, the smells make my mouth water, and my stomach grumble. A door way causes me to believe that our dorms are in that direction. I take a few steps to the table and go to grab some type of muffin, until Glade speaks up.

"Nero, before you do anything, we need to get you to the infirmary." I can't imagine that they will be able to do anything, however if they can make the pain bearable, then who am I to complain.

"Alright, I'll go," I mutter.

"Ladonna, feel free to help yourself to anything to want dear. It might be a good idea to watch the other tributes Reaping's," says Glade as she turns towards the hallway. I follow her close behind, not wanting to lose my sense of direction. I discover that my room is the room on the right, right across from Ladonna's. I want to look in there, however Glade says later as this issue is more important.

"Here we are! Now I've explained to them what the problem is, they'll fix you up in no time," she says beaming at me.

"Thank you," I say, not really knowing how to respond.

"Don't be, you need to be fit and healthy going into the arena, no use in having you have the disadvantage," she says. That's a good point.

"If you need anything, just call," she says, and with that she trots off. I've never actually had someone who has cared about me like this before. Especially not from the Capitol. Maybe they aren't all so bad after all.

"Mr Koeing, pleasure to meet you," says a young man, probably about twenty.

"Uh, yeah sure..." I say.

"Now, we will just need to scan your body, to see how bad you're Cancer is," he says, gesturing for me to come into the room. I limp inside to a very white room. There is an operating table and a large pod like machine in the centre. I'm not alone in here either. There are about three other people in here, all women. I guess they are the doctor's assistants.

"So I'll have you just hope onto here," he says, pointing to the operating table. I hoist myself onto it and lie down.

"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing," he says. That's what they all say. However, this time he is telling the truth. A red beam scans my entire body, slowly scanning every inch of it. It's over in roughly three minutes.

The four of them stare at a screen, which I assume shows the results. They all start whispering to each other, which I am not taking as a good sign. Soon enough the finish and the man comes up to me.

"Okay Nero, we have good news and bad news, which one would you like first?" He says. I stare glumly at him.

"The good news," I say bluntly.

"Okay, there is something we can do about the cancer in your right hip," he says smiling.

"The bad news?" I ask, already knowing.

"Well, the cancer is extremely aggressive. We estimate you have about a week and a half left to live," he says softly, staring at me with those pitiful eyes that everyone gives me when they find out about it.

I am in shock. I knew I was going to die, but I didn't know it would be that soon. I figured it would be about three months or so.

"Oh, I see," I say, lowering my head. I don't want to see their faces of pity.

"So, are you ready to do this?" He asks.

"I guess," I sigh. He leads me over to the pod machine and tells me to lie down inside. I position myself comfortably, not wanting to be stuck uncomfortably.

"This may take a couple of hours Nero, so don't worry about waking up at night time," he says as he taps in a few numbers on the dial pad. I grunt in response. I hope I'm not appearing to be drowning in self-pity right now, which would be pretty weak.

"Alright, time to begin this, good luck Nero, see you on the other side," he says with a reassuring smile. The hatch closes and I am enclosed in darkness. I thing happens at first, just the heavy breaths that come from me. Suddenly a dim red light comes on, giving me the ability to see again.

I notice the heat going up in the pod. It's at a nice warm temperature. This isn't so bad, this is quite relaxing if anything. It may be because I hadn't noticed the gas that had begun to spurt out of a tube above me. Not that I could have, it's invisible and odourless. It doesn't stop me from hearing the hissing sound though.

My eyes begin to droop and my brain becomes foggy. The yawning that has begun is now uncontrollable. I think I might just, close my eyes...

...

How long? Days? Weeks? How long have I slept for? I try to move my arms, but they are stiff from lack of movement. The enclosed space isn't so delightful any more. I want to stretch but there is no room at all. I start yelling and banging on the roof above me. A few moments pass before it finally opens.

The same man from before is there to greet me, he gives me an enormous smile, showing his pearly white teeth.

"Congratulations Nero, you did it," he says clapping me not he back.

"Did what?" I ask, confused.

"You beat cancer, you no longer have any in your body. You have been healed."

**A/N: I figured to make up for a week without an upload, I would give a double one this weekend. So here is Nero, hope you liked him. What did you think of the chapter?**

**Next is watching the Tributes Reapings, so we get to see a glimpse of the other tributes :)**


	10. Dayta: Brains over Brawn

**Dayta Owens, 14, D3:**

So, this is where I shall observe my competition? A small darker room than before, lit up only by the light of the television screen. Two cushioned seats face the screen, a small table in front of it. Perhaps I am expected to write in the notepad that rests in front of the seat. I highly doubt that will be nessacary for me.

As for my District partner, Liesel, it might come across as helpful. Speaking of Liesel, I wonder if she is prepared. We were expected to be here at approximately 8:30, it is now five minutes past. However, it isn't too long until she appears, the usual scowl embedded onto her face, cold eyes worn with fatigue. There is no denying that Liesel is exceptionally tired.

Even in the dim light, she still doesn't seem quite normal. Hostile indeed, possibly quite far from polite.

"Good evening," I say, nodding my head.

"Yeah, whatever, just shut up," she groans, stretching her arms above her head. What a pleasant young girl. From my current observations, I know that she isn't simply a dim witted soul. She has a edge of intelligence, indeed a very devious girl. I have made sure to eye each one of my competition, and she is the first.

"My apologies, I theorised it might be a good idea to possibly get to know each other," I say, choosing my words carefully.

"You really think I'm that stupid? I know what you're trying to do, you're as far from social as it gets, and we are about to enter a brutal battle to the death. The last thing anyone would want to do is to get to know a person before they have to kill them," she says in mock laughter.

"No, I know what you're doing. You want to know my strengths, my weaknesses, anything you can use against me. That's not happening, so nice try," she says.

I'm impressed. However, that's not what I was going after, she in fact confirmed what I had been suspecting. She definitely isn't oblivious, she is always on her toes, ready to use anything to her advantage. This shows that she is already thinking about strategy, and can damn well be a threat.

"Oh I was simply trying to strike up a friendly conversation," I say, making my expression blank.

"Is that the case? Come on I thought you were smarter than that Dayta," she says shaking her head. If only she knew.

"Well, if you don't want a civil conversation, what is there to do?" I ask. She sighs, I may have gone past her tolerance point.

"I don't understand, shouldn't you be sooking like all the younger tributes would be doing, you are being sent to your death after all," she says plonking herself on the recliner.

"A fair suggestion indeed, however I do not intend to die. My intentions are to come out of this game alive," I say, producing a smirk. She almost spits out the water she had been so graciously sipping.

"You expect to win this? You're not so smart after all!" She exclaims, wiping her mouth.

"Indeed, this may be a game of fighting and death, however people still fail to realise, that brain always beats brawn," I say as I lean back comfortably. She appears to think for a moment, considering what I have just said.

"Okay, what if a lunatic from District 5 comes at you wielding two axes?" She says leaning back herself. This girl is something different, she is challenging me. I am enjoying this.

"Oh that's an easy task. Dodging at the specific angle as he swipes at me should ensure enough time for me to then make my move. Knocking his calf with the right amount of force will momentarily incapacitate him, which will slow his recovery time. This gives me enough time to hit the right pressure point to temporarily paralyse him," I say as I cross off every step with my fingers.

"Then what would you do?" She says with her arms crossed.

"What do you mean?" I ask, certain I have covered all the specifics.

"Do you kill him after?" She asks, eyebrows raised. For the first time in a long time, I'm left speechless. I have been faced with something that I do not know that answer too, what would I do? Surely I wouldn't be heartless enough to kill him. However if I left him, he would certainly come after me later on.

"You are hesitant to kill aren't you?" Liesel says softly.

"No, of course not, I would kill him in a heartbeat!" I exclaim, somewhat unconvincingly. I was never a star actor.

"You would think that killing someone is hard, but it really isn't any different to an animal," she says, voice barely audible over a whisper.

"Shall we begin watching these reaping's?" I ask, determined to change the topic.

"Sure," she says in response. The image on the screen switches from the Capitol seal to what I presume to be the Town Square of District 1. Undeniably their District is beautiful, blue skies, marble buildings. Of course the District is rich after all.

Surprisingly, we are greeted first by a volunteer. The girl named Theia calmly raises her hand, saving another girl in the process. However the vibes I get from her are nowhere near heroic. Her gaze is elusive, sly, I dare say even wild. I will indeed keep my eyes on her.

"Fancy that, two of you," I say smirking at Liesel. She gives me a greasy look and glances back at the screen. Not the time for banter?

I am bewildered again by the next tribute who bounds up to the stage to volunteer. Straight away, Haim comes across as cocky, which I assume he knows. His eyes are full of excitement, however not insanity.

"What's with everyone volunteering to die?" I say exasperated. I get no response from Liesel as the District 2 reaping's have begun. This time the male tribute is reaped first, quite interesting, apparently there is no specific order. An African American boy named Nero is called. Looking for signs of disturbance becomes inefficient, until he finally manages to make his way to the stage.

I notice a limp accompanies him, a disability for the arena will unlikely prove helpful to him. It definitely won't appeal to such a lethal audience. The only thing besides that that interests me, is the fact that he has no reaction at. His face is blank and he appears to feel nothing, if anything at all, it would be pure boredom.

The next girl is interesting. A girl named Ladonna is called up. This time there is immediate disturbance in the crowd. An incredibly large and muscular girl panics and begins to break down. A few Peacekeepers are knocked out in the process, until they are finally able to get her under control.

"Nothing I can't handle, you on the other hand, well I believe that Ladonna could sit on you and you will be gone," states Liesel.

"Oh really? Honestly, Nero seems about as capable of killing as a kitten does in the state he is in, and Ladonna appears to have the IQ of a cabbage," I say calmly.

"Personally, at this moment in time, our biggest threat are the Ones, something about that girl, isn't particularly, 'normal', let's leave it at that," I say.

"Perhaps, we shall find out anyway," she says, facing the TV again.

The familiar District 3 Town Square pops up on screen. I sigh at the memory.

"Oh how I miss it already," I say dreamily.

"Fucking hate it to be quite honest," says Liesel.

"Why is that? It's your home," I reply.

"No, District 7 is my home. I've been stuck in that shithole you call District 3 for too many months now," she says bitterly.

"And this is your opportunity to escape," I reply.

Nealt stands in the same position she was standing when the reaping occurred. First Liesel is called up, which she does so while examining her nails and giving the least bit of attention to what was going on.

"How delightful you look," I say laughing. She covers her eyes from the screen, expressing disgust.

"I look atrocious," she mutters.

"Hey, it's better than crying," I say shrugging.

I hear Nealt call the name Dayta Owens, and without warning the flood of emotions I experienced at that moment come racing back to me. Confusion. Anger. Even a bit of fear mixed in. I had been so confused as to why I had been reaped. I mean surely the Capitol were doing this to claim those idiot rebels. So why was I, the least rebellious person chosen to participate in the games?

"Awwww, Dayta you look adorable! All shaking and everything," she says mocking me now.

"Excuse you, I was shaking with rage," I argue, folding my arms up in annoyance.

"You look so angry with your pale face and sweaty forehead, don't you?" She says grinning. She is quite good at reading people it seems.

We are introduced to the bright sunny square of District 4, deep blue ocean rolling in the back ground. The girl that is reaped, Rhode, simply rolls her eyes and scowls at the cameras that try so desperately to get up and close with her. There appears to be many fighters at this stage, Volunteers, people that look bored with the event, monstrous girls that fight Peacekeepers. The only thing I have to prove at this stage is my brain.

The boy, Danix, appears rather hesitant as he too volunteers to enter the games. I wonder why that is. He keeps turning to somewhere in the crowd looking rather panicky. From his body image he appears quite similar to Haim from District 1.

"This is getting more challenging by the second," I say, feelings of anxiety brewing deep into my stomach.

Next is the savage District known as Five. I can hear the gunshots in the background of the recording. An athletic and muscular boy of Asian descent is reaped, named Minho. The name is familiar, maybe I've read it in one of the many books I own. That would be the most logical explanation.

He doesn't exactly react, more just glares at the crowd, and their whiny escort. I'm not even going to lie, he scares me. I feel he is the biggest threat for me so far, mostly because of the place he comes from.

Laelia, the girl that is reaped, instantly storms up onto the stage. She is very obviously set with a colourful array of curses that she uses on her escort and the Peacekeepers. I don't catch what her escort says, but I do see her start to attack her. However this proves unsuccessful when she drops to the floor unconscious. One of the Peacekeepers has tranquillised Laelia.

Both Liesel and I glance at each other, eyes open wide. This will be a lot harder than I had first anticipated.

"Well, they are from District 5 after all," says Liesel softly. I do wonder if there is anyone that can match up to Minho. Well, there may be, we are still yet to see District 6, and I have no doubt that they will hold extraordinary odds in these games.

As I predicted, we are introduced to a girl named Hera. Brilliant green eyes, significantly tanned skin, dirty blonde hair. I feel a stir deep in my chest, like some ferocious beast wanting to be released.

"Wow," I utter, dumbstruck at this girl's beauty.

"What was that?" Asks Liesel, smirking at me.

"What? Nothing, I was just admiring the, uhh, destruction," I say pointing at the destroyed central square of District 6. No doubt that was from the District 0 attacks.

"If I know any better, that is the look of someone in love, Dayta," she says grinning.

"That's rubbish! I've only just seen her! I haven't even met her yet," I say defiantly.

"Okay, sure Dayta," she says shaking her head. I silently grin to myself, sure what she accused me of was somewhat true, the main thing is I have caused her to open up a bit, and wind down. The hostile nature seems to have come to a rest around me, now it's more playful. There is more to Liesel than I first thought, it seems.

I am drawn back to the screen by a significant amount of yelling and cursing, similar to Laelia. I am surprised to see a boy, with locks of golden hair, and porcelain like skin. He doesn't appear very similar to the, standard, District 6 appearance. I would guess District 8 at first glance. The boy's name is Aramid, quite a unique name.

"Oh dear," I sigh when Aramid as well, is tranquillised and dumped on stage. This keeps getting worse and worse. I didn't expect this kind of body power to be in the games.

District 7 proves to be just as bad. The girl named Phionex, attempts yet again to attack the escort. She appears to be more of a District 6 person with her raven coloured hair and pale skin. It doesn't get any better when Atlas, the male tribute, volunteers and spits on the escort, who had been just fixing up her clothing from the previous attack.

Again, he reminds me of Haim and Danix, but this time he has an unmistakable scar on the side of his face. One that could only have even received from fighting.

"District 8 can't be that bad, right? I mean, they are poofs," says Liesel, trying to make the situation easier. I can only hope she is correct, District 8 aren't exactly known for their physical abilities. They try to make the excuse that nobody let them fight during the war, we all know they secretly liked their job. Making clothing for the rebels. Personally I couldn't think of anything worse.

The boy is reaped first this time, his name being Rexx. Quite, 'interesting' if I say so myself. He gives the strangest reaction yet. He just smiles and politely waves at the camera. Interesting, he isn't exactly scared of the concept of dying yet.

A rather pretty girl with pale skin, coal black hair and alarming blue eyes called Libra is reaped next. For once, a tribute that cried at their selection. One that actually might be sane. I find her to look kind of like Phionex.

"See, harmless, they won't hurt a fly," Liesel says.

"I don't know about Rexx, I saw a hint of intelligence in his eyes. Rather calculating if you ask me," I say in my observatory state.

"And you're not?" Laughs Liesel.

"Well of course I am, but he is from Eight," I say staring at the screen.

The familiar image of District 9 flashes on screen. They showed the burning wheat fields a lot during the war. The girl called Ancora is reaped. She tries to get her friends, who I hear to be named Faith and Hope, to help her. After their refusal, Ancora begins to bawl, rivers of tears flowing down her cheeks.

All I can catch her saying is something about how her friends betrayed her or that they've left her. All Faith and Hope do is shake their heads, one of them cries as well.

"Hmmm, can't see her lasting long," says Liesel.

"Likewise," I respond.

I feel a twang of sympathy, even though I hate the rebels. She must be going through hell though, no food because of the wheat fields, getting reaped for her execution. Must be horrible for District 9. I can't allow myself to feel anything for them though. They starved the Capitol, and they starved us as well.

"Oh my!" Screams Liesel.

"What is that? Is he even human?" I screech. Getting wheeled up to the stage with hands cuffed behind his back and a face mask covering all of his lower face is Fletcher. His body is huge, putting Ladonna Gully's to shame. His hands could probably crush my skull with a flick. All I can see in his bloodshot grey eyes, is pure evil. I thought that the rest of these tributes were bad, this guy is monstrous. All he does is scan his surroundings, which is mostly people that have cowered in fear.

Soon enough, the image on screen flickers to District 10, which I will admit, causes me to sigh in relief. I couldn't stand to see that, insane hulk of a person. Both Liesel and I remain silent, waiting for the District 10 reaping to begin as we picture the figure of Fletcher.

A boy named Vince is reaped first. He casually walk up to the stage, hands behind his back and crooked grin on the cameras. All I see in his eyes however is panic. He looks fairly strong, understandable being from Ten. Cassia is then reaped, which I take note of, due to her being only twelve years old. She walks up, rather blank and frozen. I get the vibes that she has seen things that a twelve year old shouldn't ever have to see. I would not want to imagine her facing Fletcher.

"That one wasn't so bad," says Liesel, looking rather relieved.

"True, but these next couple of reaping's doesn't exactly make that nutcase from Nine disappear," I say bitterly.

When Naomi from District 11 is reaped, Liesel lets out a murmur of understanding.

"What? All she is, is another young crying girl," I say.

"She is the one that had Poisonous Berries found in her goodbye room. She caused the Capitol a scare because they thought she was going to kill herself, however she swore that her friend was only trying to show her a way she could kill in the arena. I guess she would be dead by now if she had actually eaten some," she explains.

"Fair enough," I reply, now paying attention to Quinn, the boy that has just volunteered. I can't comprehend, why are there so many suicidal kids? I'm not sure what to make of him, but if he has volunteered, he must be somewhat confident in his chances at winning.

Finally, the last District has come, District 12. First to be reaped is Dana, who first hesitates, and then swears at the escort. Next is a young boy named Whent. He is the first and only to do what I would expect some other tributes to do. He begins to run away, however he doesn't get very far with the Peacekeepers blocking the perimeter.

I half expect District 13 to play next, but then I realise that they are no more. The screen turns to black and the lights light up dimly. Both of us stare at each other, quite unsure of what to do. Liesel speaks first.

"Well, we have some improvement to work on."

**A/N: So I had another busy week at school, so from future, try not to expect chapters on school days. If I manage one that is all good. I do realise that this chapter is very long, I fact my longest yet, so that is another reason why the update is late. However now you have seen all the tributes! I may get another chapter out today, MAY. And I have also decided, the more you review, the more likely your tribute is to survive, it's just that I want to make sure that I don't have abandoned tributes. Anyways, until next time.**

**-Ares**


	11. Laelia: Puppet

**Laelia Webber, 18, D5:**

I am bombarded by a flurry of apologies from the Capitol scum who are tending to me, as another layer of hair I never even knew existed is torn from me. I refrain from snarling to try and cause them to calm down a bit. They have been so jumpy ever since I've gotten here.

I woke up from being tranquillised on the train only to have my pathetic district escort send me to a room with some Asian guy to watch the other reaping's. What was it, Minho or something? So I haven't had the best couple of days to relax.

The blindfold is so tempting to be torn off, to grant me vision again. The attendants told me I was not allowed to take it off until told too. I really want to break this rule, why should I be listening to people that are hoping to kill me?

"Okay, sorry Laelia, only a couple more hairs..." Viltre says timidly. She is whoever my stylist is supposed to be.

"It better be," I growl, gritting me teeth together. I inhale sharply as a new sensation unexpectedly occurs. It feels like I'm being stabbed in my right upper arm.

"Ouch! What the fuck are you doing! That's not waxing hair!" I snarl at them. One of the prep team from the sound of it, stumbles back in fear.

"Laelia, you have to trust us, we are doing this for your own good," says the voice of Viltre again.

"No, that's fucking enough," I grunt. I rip off my blindfold to see the pale faces of the prep team and Viltre. They stand the horrified, Viltre with a needle in her fingers.

"Are you trying to poison me or something?" I say coldly.

"No, well, you had a problem, and we needed to cure it," she mutters sheepishly. I pause, not exactly sure by what she could mean by this. I don't exactly have any diseases I'm aware of.

"Yeah whatever, just get me my smokes," I say, folding my arms. They don't move, they just stand there looking stupid.

"Was there something that you couldn't understand? Get me my smokes," I say slowly. Viltre speaks up.

"Well, you see, smoking isn't a very popular thing in the Capitol, so we made an adjustment to your tastes," she says, now shaking. I absorb the information she has given me.

"What?" I say flatly.

"We will show you," she says. She grabs a cigarette from a platter behind her and slowly steps forward.

"I'm so sorry about this," she whispers before waving it beneath my nose. The second I get a sniff of the familiar scent, it feels like my stomach shrink to the size of a tennis ball. The vomit floods my mouth before completely overflowing out onto the ground. My head begins to spin and I try with all my remaining sense to snort the disgusting scent out of my nose. I succumb to the dizziness and the darkness consumes me.

...

I find myself on the floor, in the fetal position, rocking back and forth. The only thoughts I can conjure, are those of lung cancer, rotten teeth and unimaginable physical changes, of my own future self.

What did they do to me? Who do they think I am, a play toy?

"Laelia, we are here for you," says a weak voice, I can only recognise as Viltre's.

"I think it worked," says another person.

"They really shouldn't force us to use these untested products on kids."

"It seems to have worked well enough, you saw how she reacted to that death stick."

"We don't know the side effects, did you hear about the Two boy?"

"No, what happened?"

"They used an untested treatment for his cancer, telling him they could easily manage it."

"What happened?"

"He isn't the same as he was before according to the Escort and the Tribute. They describe him as 'increasingly angry', the Escort is worrying about it."

"Shhh, I think she is stirring," Viltre says silencing the others.

I grudgingly pick myself off of the ground. At this moment, I'm too weak too lunge myself at Viltre and tear out her throat for what she did. Somewhere in my befuddled mind however, concludes that someone is apparently in a worse state then I am.

I now have a robe covering my ever so smooth body. They didn't mess with it did they? Something doesn't feel right, I can't tell what.

"You're lucky I don't kill you right now for what you did," I splutter out.

"Laelia, we swear, it was on the orders from Vice President Welsh," says one of the attendants.

"What was? Making me puke and faint every time I smell a cigarette?" I say sweetly but sarcastically.

"Yes, well that and your hair," says Viltre. I freeze. What did they do to my hair?

Instead of the short style I like it in, it is now long enough to reach my lower back, and it feels so thick.

"What have you don't to my hair?!" I scream horrified. I grab the scissors and frantically cut at it. It's a couple of seconds before I notice that the scissors have bent.

"It is no use, your hair was given a formula that made it grow rapidly, so now it is long and beautiful," says Viltre.

"Oh and it's taken on the strength of titanium, so you cannot cut it off," adds one of the prep team.

The anger I feel right now is indescribable, however I hope my eyes show it so the prep team and Viltre can know what they have cursed themselves with. However, they step aside and reveal a mirror that stops me in my tracks.

I-I am... Truly beautiful. Back in Five, there was no positive meaning for beauty, the more beautiful you were meant the more likely you were to be raped or kidnapped. I never got to look beautiful because of this, I would always make sure I had short hair to keep away the rapists and paedophiles.

As much as it isn't me, it really feels like what I want to be.

"Please Laelia, we don't want to fail you, we want to help you, that's what we are here for," says Viltre softly. I remain silent, not knowing how to respond to... Niceness.

"Just trust us to help you appeal to the audience, and we can help get you home," she continues, slowly stepping towards me, afraid I might lash out at any moment. As much as I don't want to allow the Capitol to help me with anything, these four people genuinely appear to want to help out. It's not like I have much choice anyways, so I might as well gain this advantage.

"Fine," I say barely audible.

"Just, do what you must," I say reluctantly. Viltre sighs in relief and leads me over to the next room. I am told to sit down as they begin to work away. My face becomes completely caked in makeup, well at least it feels like it, I've never worn it before so who am I to know what it feels like. My nails are shaped into perfect ovals glossed until they are shiny. After that, they then coat it in a golden liquid that appears to glow in a throb.

"That's a little hint for your costume," Viltre whispers as she styles my new shiny black hair. In the mirror, I finally get to see my face. The usual scowl is still present, as it always is, however my face is coated in a powder that has made my face appear much more tanned. My eyes intact as their emerald green colour, but now my eyelids and lashes are laced by a flashing yellow, similar to the glowing yellow on my nails.

My lips have the exact same coat and all I can think about is how radiant I look, yet I still look completely recognisable as my usual grumpy self. When the final bits of mascara are added, my team congratulates me and each other on their job as I admire myself in the mirror.

A tap on my shoulder signifies that I must follow Viltre alone into yet another room. She motions for me to sit on the plush red couch and face the black cabinet.

"This is what you shall be wearing during the chariot ride," says Viltre. She opens the door to my costume which causes light to flood the room...

**A/N: Left it on a bit of a cliff-hanger there. So yes another busy week at school, but its Friday, so I'm hoping to upload one today, Saturday and Sunday. I hope this chapter was alright, and that I wrote Laelia alright as well. She is quite the bitter person. Also I'm sorry that this chapter is quite short, they will start getting longer though. Anyways, who is ready for some proper character interactions next chapter? I know I sure am :D**

**-Ares **


	12. Atlas: United

_(Early Chapter Celebrating 100 Reviews)_

**Atlas Verdini, 18, D7:**

"It's just this way," pipes up Regina as I follow her down a hallway. I spot a large elevator, similar to the one in the Justice Building. I grunt at Regina and continue along my path, deciding it would be best to not speak at all.

Regina sighs, pressing the down button which causes it to light up.

"Look, Atlas, I'm not your enemy. I want to help you and I want both you and Phionex to win," she says staring up at me. My first thought is that she is lying and trying to get me to let my guard down. However, Regina has been nice and helpful to us this whole time. Something tells me that she isn't as bad as I instantly make her out to be.

"I'm sorry Regina, it's just hard to trust anyone from the Capitol," I say, staring at the elevator. Regina smiles knowingly.

"That's only expected, trust me I don't blame you," she says patting my back.

"And I probably shouldn't have spat on you," I smirk. She nods in response just as the doors to the elevator opens.

"Good luck," she whispers and watches me enter. The doors slide shut, leaving me enclosed with the girl from 12, the boy from 10 and the girl from 8. I examine each one of them, none seem to be much of a threat. The boy from 10 steps towards me.

"Hi, Vince Rojarze from District 10, nice to meet you," he says beaming as he sticks out his hand. I take his hand hesitantly and shake it.

"Atlas," I reply, lowering my hand and leaning against the wall.

"I like the costume," he says cheerfully. I look down at my costume, still unsure of what will happen. Jiff my stylist says that something 'special' will happen as the chariots roll out. I can't imagine what that would be, I'm wrapped in what would look like vines, except the texture and colour looks like a pale oak tree.

"Thanks," I reply turning away unsure of his intentions.

"Wow, this is truly amazing, I don't know any kind of synthetic material like this," says the girl from District 8 as she examines the branches wrapped around me.

She looks up and notices I'm staring at her. Her snow coloured face blushes and she looks down awkwardly.

"Oh sorry, I'm Libra, I'm just fascinated by what your costume could be made out of, it's nothing like what I have seen in District 8," she says. I can't help but notice her electrifyingly blue eyes and her long soft coal black hair.

"That's perfectly fine, you can touch it if you want," I say to her, smiling.

"Really?" She asks.

"Yeah sure, go ahead," I reply. She raises her finger to my arm and slowly caresses the wood.

"Woah, it's so life like," she says in awe. She gasps when the spot that she touched produces a short, slender branch. I didn't expect this either and I almost jump, is this what is special about it? The branch has something small on the end that rapidly grows bigger. Before I know it, a fully grown apple has protruded from the branch.

She rips the apple off and tears a chunk of it off, looking back at me in shock when the apple's interior is that of a normal apple.

"Oh my, this isn't fabric at all!" She states, examining the apple.

"Hey can I have a look?" Asks Vince, cautiously looking over her shoulder.

"Uh sure..." She says taken aback. As I make room for him to come over, I almost back into the District 12 girl. I completely forgot she was here.

"Sorry about that," I say stepping aside from her. She glares at me and then responds.

"Don't worry about it," she sighs. Out of the four of us in here, she already appears most like me. Kind of a tough nut, rough around the edges, doesn't take shit, type of person.

"Was it Dana?" I ask, briefly remembering her name from the Reaping recap. She nods but says nothing else. Yes, just like me.

The elevator finally comes to a stop and the doors slide open. Dana makes her way out before I can say anything else.

"Hey Atlas, come with me and I'll introduce you to Rexx, I think you'll get along," says Libra, smiling up at me.

"Rexx?" I ask.

"My District partner silly," she says laughing. She is awfully cheerful for what she was like at her Reaping. At first I'm quite hesitant. I'm not the type of person to be all that social with new people, especially people I should be killing in a weeks' time. However, my senses conclude that it couldn't harm to get to know people, maybe discover a few things that could be useful. Not to mention my strategy for these games anyway. People are a huge part of that. They make up that alliance I've been planning.

Libra drags me over to the District 8 chariot that happens to be right behind my own chariot anyways. I notice a couple of things as we walk, the girl from District 5 has much longer hair now. She fiddles with it uncomfortably, even tugging at it. She is a lot quieter then at her Reaping.

Phionex stands there in an identical costume to mine, talking to the pair from District 6. Interesting, interesting indeed. I already know that District 6 will be strong, and Phionex will surely be a valuable ally. I should consider talking to them later on.

The current event takes my attention as Libra and I arrive at her chariot. Rexx has a curly and messy style of hair that's a chocolate brown colour. He leans against the chariot silently observing all the other tributes, especially the Two's. The girl is causing quite the ruckus like at her Reaping, however the boy is different from the last time I saw him. He was limping originally and appeared very weak. Now he is fighting Peacekeepers with complete and utter rage. His eyes burn pure fury and his body shakes with anger.

Some of the younger tributes gasp when he suddenly punches a hole through his chariot. One of the Peacekeepers run out and jab him with a needle as he tries to pry his hand out of the Chariot. He stumbles a bit before standing straight, rocking back and forth with a sort of dopey look on his face.

"I heard that they used some kind of untested treatment for whatever disease he had," says a calm voice from behind me. I turn to find Rexx staring at me intently, the corner of his mouth curled into a cheeky grin.

"Really? Are they allowed?" I ask, unsure.

"Unfortunately, yes they are. Because they are the Capitol," says Vince as he steps beside me. I didn't even notice he had followed us.

"Hi, Vince Rojarze," Vince says, shaking Rexx's hand.

"Rexx," he replies, grinning.

"You're Atlas, right?" he asks.

"Yeah that's me, don't know how you remembered," I say chuckling.

"Oh that's easy, I've memorised every tributes name," he says shrugging.

"Really?" I say surprised.

"He actually has, it's kind of scary," pipes up Libra.

"That girl over there from One, her name is Theia," he says pointing at a girl leaning against the District 1 chariot, intently observing the others.

"That boy's name is Dayta, smartest boy in District 3," he continues. Dayta is speaking to who appears to be the District 3 girl.

"That's Laelia from District 5, apparently she had some treatment done to her as well, and that is her District partner, Minho," he says pointing at the burly Asian boy, talking to Phionex and the two from District 6.

"What are their names?" I say pointing to the District 6 tributes.

"Hera and Aramid," he says with ease.

"Wow, you have really done your research," I say amazed.

"Yep I know," he says beaming with pride. Suddenly, his face drops as he sees something behind me.

"And that, that is Fletcher," he says coldly. I turn to see the definition of evil strolling past the eyes of the various onlookers of tributes. He comes accompanied by about four Peacekeepers, all of which are tiny compared to him.

"Oh my," utters Libra.

"He is a lot bigger in person," Vince says. From the competition I have already seen, the Eights don't seem to stand much of a chance. It might be the majority of the fact that they are from District 8 and I mean, come on. Clothing? These guys stand about as much of a chance as the little twelve year old from Ten.

"Five Minute Warning," says a robotic voice from God knows where.

"Well fellas, I'm off. I'm sure we'll meet at training," says Vince, giving us the thumbs up as he turns and walks off.

"I should probably get back to Phionex as well, I guess I'll see you around," I say to Rexx. He smiles and nods me off.

"For sure," he says as he hops into the chariot. This leaves Libra and I. We stand awkwardly for a couple of seconds, until I finally speak up.

"So I guess we'll see each other again at training?" I ask.

"Of course! Was great meeting you Atlas," she says smiling.

"Alright, see you tomorrow," I say as I start to walk off.

"Bye," she says as she hops into the Chariot. I walk up to the District 6 Chariot, seeing as that is where Phionex is. As I arrive, all of them stop and look at me.

"So this is Atlas," says Phionex as Minho, Hera and Aramid nod.

"You weren't kidding," Hera says as she grabs my arm and caresses my bicep.

"He was built for war," she adds, smiling at me approvingly.

"Uh, what's going on?" I ask hesitantly.

"The Capitol expects us to kill each other as if we are enemies," says Aramid.

"We can unite in a group, against them," adds Hera.

"And I will be happy to take out anyone that gets in our way in the arena," says Minho, grinning maliciously. That's when I smile, that's when I can see my plan settling in, taking its place. I reply to their words.

"Yes. I think that's a good idea. Standing against the Capitol. United."

**A/N: Turns out I was busy the rest of the weekend, but I got another chapter out, yay! So what did you think of the tributes mentioned? The ones Atlas interacted with and Atlas himself? I'm sure for any of you that reads History Repeats Itself, you aren't used to having such a normal and friendly District 10 male. I also feel like Rexx is similar to Number 8 from the Lorien Legacies, well that's how I like to picture him anyways. Not sure when the next chapter will be, hopefully soon! I made sure not to mention any of the costumes except for Atlas' one so you can discover that next Chapter. Can't wait to see you there, two more chapters and then training!**

**-Ares**


	13. Dana: Impending Doom

**Dana Woodman 16, D12:**

My gut drops a little when I scan over all the tributes and spot the Seven's, Six's and Minho from Five chatting. I kind of had a hunch this would happen. The closest allies from the war, would of course instantly become drawn to each other. Although, I did see Atlas go over to the Eight's, as well as the boy from Ten. The cheerful voice of the boy rings 'Vince', I assume I caught his name during the elevator ride.

I glance down at Whent who still hasn't moved since the announcement. Poor kid, got dragged out here to be killed. He talks to the girl from Eleven, who I've heard numerous times from their awfully loud conversation as Naomi. The girl from Ten also talks to them. I forget her name, but all I need to know is that she is only twelve.

"Yeah so I was full on angry! I burst out of the crowd and started running at the Peacekeepers," brags Whent to Naomi and the Ten girl.

"Oh wow! You're so brave, I just cried when I got reaped," Naomi says sighing.

"They're lucky that there were about ten of them, or I would have barged through," exclaims Whent, looking quite satisfied with himself. Time to ruin his fun. Sorry not sorry.

"Hey Whent. Have you stopped shaking? You've been so scared ever since the Reaping, you haven't even spoken to our Escort," I say smirking.

"Wha-? Hey, n-no I haven't, I've been, uh... Shaking in rage! Yeah, I refuse to talk to the Capitol," he says spluttering. The two girls start laughing and he starts blushing.

"See you later Whent," says the District 10 girl as the two walk off.

"Bye Cassie," he mutters. Once they have gone, he looks up at me, obviously pissed off.

"Why did you have to do that?" He complains as he climbs into the Chariot. I laugh and pinch his nose. He hates it when people do that to him.

"The Chariot Rides are about to begin," I say. He rubs his nose and snorts.

"You didn't have to make me look like an idiot," he says almost under his breath.

"Why not? It's funny," I reply. Whent goes to speak again, however he is cut off by the blaring trumpets.

"What's going on?" He asks.

"I think they are starting," I say, unsure. My guess is confirmed when I hear a cruel and cold voice, boom throughout the stadium. Welsh.

"Good evening my dear ladies and gentlemen, and welcome, to the 1st Annual Hunger Games Chariot Rides," his voice echoes.

"Our special tributes each wear a unique costume that truly represents their own District. So please give a warm welcoming, to your tributes!" He calls. The large screen inside the stables lights up with the image of the District 1 tributes. Their name is presented underneath as Haim and Theia.

I expect booing, curses, even food to be thrown at them. However, the crowd erupts with a roar so loud, the force almost knocks me off my feet. I thought they would hate the tributes, perhaps the Capitol has really hyped this whole thing up.

Each tribute wears almost identical costumes to their District partner. Haim wears a suit and Theia wears a dress, however the two are completely covered in a literal rainbow of precious gems.

"Ohh," I accidentally let slip out. Thankfully it's too loud for it to be heard. They look exactly like the glare off of water from the early morning sun. Even in my current 'dull mood', I still appear to be able to appreciate the truly magnificent effort.

"That hurts my eyes," groans Whent as he rubs at his eyes. I'll give him that, the rays of light reflect off of their costume causing beams of rainbows to shoot everywhere.

District 2 begin to roll out, the boy in a daze and the girl restrained by chains. They are dressed as stone statues of warriors. The whole of their body is incredibly detailed with cracks, scratches and even moss and vines, to give the image of old stone.

Not bad, it does match up with their field of work, masonry. I notice that Whent looks intimidated, I guess it's not that strange with the hulking girl from that District.

The pair from Three are next. I want to puke at the amount of attention they get. Just because they are favourites for the Capitol because of the whole District 3 alliance situation, doesn't mean they have to act like they are royalty. I will admit, their costume is brilliant. It looks like they are wearing the inside of a computer or some electrical machine. The unique thing is the costume is constantly rearranging itself, almost as if it's building itself up. For all I know it could have a life of its own, anything is possible after I watched Atlas' costume grow an apple from a simple touch.

"Ugh, traitorous dogs," Whent almost snarls. I haven't seen him angry like this before. It's understandable that he feels this way towards District 3.

Out comes District 4, and I notice the girl for the first time. I haven't actually taken note of her, but now that I see her I realise that she may be a potential foe. The boy is pure muscle, I do recall him from the Reaping. I believe he is dressed as some mystical sea creature, top half bare chested to show his sheer muscle, and two legs scaly but standing steadily. He holds a trident above his head victoriously and I notice a necklace with one colourful sea-shell on the end.

The girl who I notice is named Rhode, is shown to present quite a bit of skin on her top half, while her legs are in what looks like a fish tail. She as well has a necklace with a shell on the end.

"I think Rhode is a mermaid," says Whent uncertainly.

"What is that?" I ask.

"A mystical being that was created thousands of years ago, they lived in the ocean and some would lure humans with their beauty. Mostly they were just fairy tales," he says staring at Rhode.

"Well I never had time for fairy tales," I mutter.

I am astonished at how beautiful Laelia is now, I mean surely she would have makeup on, but her hair is so much longer and luscious. Laelia and the boy, Minho, wear skin tight jumpsuits that look like pure glass. However it looks like it is glowing sunlight from the inside. Their eyes have been lined with a glowing makeup and I feel drawn to them by warmth.

"Oh, they are meant to be light bulbs," says Whent, as it finally dawns on him.

"Yeah, and it is truly breathtaking," I say in awe.

District 6 look amazing as well. They both have black boots and gloves, with white plastic body armour on them, almost looking like a riot suit. There are neon lines of bright blue weaving all around them, but that's not even the amazing part. The lines of blue are actually train tracks, and there are miniature trains travelling all around their body. Their lips are coated in the same shade of blue and their eyes are outlined in a dark black that matches their boots and gloves.

"It really shows the transportation aspect of the District," I say approvingly.

"I wonder how the trains are staying on," states Whent. I shrug in response. Surely it would be some crazy Capitol sorcery.

The familiar figure of Atlas, as well as his partner Phionex, begin to be rolled out. The crowd gasps, then erupt into a roar when both their costumes begin to grow quite high, eventually turning into trees. The look on their faces at what happened almost makes me laugh.

"How in god's name-" Whent says, trailing off.

"Yeah his costume made an apple on the elevator," I say casually.

Libra from District 8 is dressed as a Queen or something, looking quite dashing in very vibrant and royal clothing. Her District counter-part is dressed as what appears to be a Jester, the various bright colours hurt my eyes. Of course, Textiles and Fabrics.

"He looks like quite the fool," says Whent.

"He is a fool Whent, another name for it is a Jester," I inform him.

My heart rate picks up speed when I see Fletcher. He is probably the biggest human I have ever seen! His District partner crosses her arms, frowns and stares ahead, refusing to acknowledge the crowd. Not a very delightful pair, not that I'm much different. If I had to be partners with that beast, I would probably try to end myself now.

She wears a simple dress and he a suit. The background of the costumes however, actually move about. It gives the appearance of wheat, slowly blowing in the soft breeze. It's very brown and golden, somewhat warming as well. That's where it stops after you see who bears it.

"How do they achieve this?" Whent asks himself exasperated. I don't respond and instead pay attention to District 10, as it is our turn soon enough.

Vince and... I want to say Cassie? I think that's what Whent called her. Anyway, Vince and Cassie both resemble tribal chiefs, both with a helmet shaped as a raging bull with sharp looking horns. Their clothing are made up of the loincloths of cattle and they each hold a spear.

"They did pretty well for Ten, I would have thought they would have just been cows or Cowboys," says Whent approvingly.

"I agree," I say, nerves growing ever so slightly at the impending chariot rides.

Naomi and her district partner are the last ones before us. They are the strangest yet, and I believe I know why. This pair are the only pair to not have their costume represent their District. It doesn't have anything to do with meadows or flowers, instead, they are dressed as a Jabber Jay.

District 11 was where they released the Jabber Jays after the war was won by the Capitol, mainly due to the climate and plentiful and edible plant life. Is this yet another sign of dominance over us District's?

Regardless, the crowd love it. Especially when the pair flap their wings to create a soothing whistle sound, unique to the flight of the Jabber Jay.

"Why are they birds? Shouldn't they be flowery or something?" He asks confused. Obviously he doesn't see the message.

"I know, weird isn't it," I say, deciding not to go into details since we are about to go out.

The Chariot shakes a bit as the horses trot towards the opening of the stable. Whent stumbles a bit but recovers from it only a few seconds before we enter the humongous stadium. The crowd roar a hearty cheer at the first glimpse of our costume. We are both dressed in a costume that presents crystallised coal, which reflects the random flashes of light.

A black mist surrounds the two of us, coming from the costume itself. I get a glimpse of myself on the large screen. I must admit, we both look quite alluring. Whent waves and smiles at the crowd, while I simply flash a smile here and there, while ensuring my hardened expression.

No vulnerability can be shown.

After a few minutes, the chariot finally pulls up next to the District 11 one. I spot Welsh, examining us from far above, expectedly with his trademark smirk. He waits for the crowd to die down as he holds his hand up to signify this.

"You have now seen our first batch of tributes! We welcome you tributes to the Capitol, only the most desirable place to be. Now it's time for the _real_ fun to begin," he says with a cruel smirk. With this, he turns and heads into the President's Mansion, while the crowd cheer once again.

He is up to something, I just know it. However, what can a girl from District 12 possibly do against the whole of the Capitol? The chariot arrives at the other stables, where we are bombarded by our escorts and stylists.

Something catches my eye. President Satchel, stands talking to another man next to a pillar. I push past my prep team and sneak my way behind the pillar. Something is up, and I'm going to work out what it is.

I listen carefully to what is Satchel's voice.

"I'm not quite sure... Will it be safe?" He asks the man.

"Of course Mr President, we wouldn't want to harm the tributes before they have even entered the arena."

"So this is happening on the second training day?" He asks.

"Yes, to get a starting idea at where these tributes are at, we are going to hold this to test them first on their might and strategy," the other man says.

"Okay, I allow permission for the 'Pillar Trial' to move ahead," says Satchel.

"Brilliant, I will inform Mr Welsh urgently," the other man says, quite delighted.

Pillar Trial?

**A/N: Oooo more cliff-hangers! This chapter is a bit delayed, but it's also quite a long one. I hope you liked all the costumes I created, hopefully not to corny. The Pillar Trial, sounds like something from James Dashner doesn't it? More will be revealed in time, so for now I hope you enjoyed.**

**-Ares**


	14. Aramid: Not Good Enough

**Aramid Vicuna, 16, D6:**

Both Hera and I walk over to the elevator. The time for celebration over our phenomenal costumes has been put on a halt and will most likely continue up where we are staying. I believe Tiffany will be waiting up there for us. As amazing as these costumes are, my head spins significantly due to the trains that have been traveling undisturbed around our bodies, even giving a little hoot here and there.

I glance back at Atlas, I hate to admit it, but I do feel a sliver of jealousy. He stands there with the girl from District 8 and yet again the boy from 10. It's a shame we can't all be born with defining cheekbones and muscly arms that could snap a neck with one twist.

What am I? Just some kid with baby skin and curly golden hair. Something from a fairy-tale more like. He basically looks like the rebel I desire to be.

"Aramid, are you okay?" Hera asks uncertainly.

"What? Yeah I'm fine, just deep in thought," I mutter back.

"Anything in particular?" She asks.

"Just looking at our competition," I reply. That was half right.

I scan the room and the boy from District 3 catches my eye. He stares somewhat dreamily at Hera, suddenly noticing me and turning away in an instant.

"Hey that kid from 3 was just looking at you," I inform Hera.

"Who, Dayta? Yeah he has been the entire time," she chuckles.

"Are you in any way, creeped out?" I ask taken aback by her reaction.

"Not really, I think it's cute," she says, pressing the button for the elevator.

My expression turns into disgust.

"Cute? Really? Wouldn't think you're the type to use a word like that," I say shaking my head.

"I don't normally," she says smiling. The realisation hits me and I do not continue, instead leaving the silence until the lavatory opens. We step in accompanied by the boy from 11 and the boy from 4. I can't recall the boy from 11's name because he didn't make that much of an impact during the Reaping recaps, but I remember the muscly Danix. It's as awkward as the elevator going to the stables, but that time I was with that Nero guy that has extreme outbursts for no apparent reason, and the grouchy girl from 9 who made a big deal about her friends leaving her at her Reaping.

It is quite silent however, nothing happening until the elevator stops at level 4 to drop off Danix.

"May I request a favour?" The boy from 11 says once the doors close. This was something I was not expecting. As of so far, I haven't really noticed him too much. I haven't actually noticed him interact with anyone so far. However, here he is speaking to us.

"Uhhh, um okay..." Hera says obviously quite taken aback at his sudden speech.

"It's a no brainer that you two will be major competition in these, 'Hunger Games'. I have already noticed you have formed an alliance with Minho from 5 and Phionex and Atlas from 7, and trust me I have no intention of asking to join," he says quietly. I try to think of where he could be going with this but I come up blank.

"So I have information I would be willing to share if you promise to leave me alone during the games," he continues. I instantly perk my head up in interest, but before I can speak Hera pipes up.

"And why should we listen to you?" Hera asks accusingly.

"Because if you want your little alliance to last longer, then I can be of assistance," he says, remaining expressionless. I don't understand why Hera isn't on board. I watch her examining every inch of the 11 boy's body.

"I think we will stay in the position we're in, Quinn," she says bluntly. My jaw drops, we could be missing out on something valuable then, what is she thinking?

Quinn curls the corner of his mouth into a smile and shrugs.

"Your loss. Good luck, Hera Loughbrook," he says as the elevator stops. The doors open and Hera drags me out, ripping my eye contact off of Quinn. Once I confirm the doors are closed I let her have it.

"Hera! He could have known something really important! Why didn't you take the information?" I say exasperated.

"Aramid, if you want to make it through these games, you have to think a lot better than that. He doesn't know anything, he is just trying to get through these games in one piece like everybody else. Why do you think he would go to us? Because we are from District 6," she says sighing. I don't buy it, I'm still convinced that he could have known something more.

My thoughts become side-tracked once I have caught a glimpse of the apartment. I think it's bigger than my whole house! I hear the clip-clop of high heels, soon discovering that the sound belongs to Tiffany. She turns the corner, skin a pale but flawless white, long wavy crimson hair, full red lips and incredible blue eyes. Even though this is not the first time I have met Tiffany, she still appears more beautiful than ever. So much more natural than the majority of the Capitolites.

She smiles with pearly white teeth and embraces both Hera and I in a hug.

"You guys did an amazing job, especially at not lashing out at anyone," she says chuckling. I normally hate anyone from District 0, or the Capitol if you wish. However, Tiffany is the first one I have ever actually liked and enjoyed the presence of. I take the comment as a friendly joke and laugh with her.

"That means a lot Tiffany, thank you," Hera says smiling.

"Come on, let's watch the recaps," Tiffany says. It doesn't even feel unnatural being this nice to someone from District 0. It's weird because I know she actually wants to help us, since when has anyone from here wanted to help or like us. I thought they were all... Bad.

We follow Tiffany to a very white room, with plush leather sofas that are as red as Tiffany's hair, a furry black rug and a crystal coffee table. A large TV that is paper thin rests up on the wall, already tuned in on a Capitol News channel.

"We have received our votes for the sexiest male tribute, and by a staggering margin, our winner is Atlas Verdini from District 7!" I freeze in the process of sitting down, my jealousy creeping up through my system yet again. Really. Really? Why? Why does it have to be him? Why can't I look like that?

Unfortunately, I foresee the return of my shitty mood. Of course they would vote him that. I never would. All I look like is some delicate prince.

"Oh well done Regina," Tiffany says laughing.

"Who is Regina?" Hera asks.

"She is my friend, and my fellow Escort. She is for District 7 and she now has a popular tribute," she replies.

"Oh look I think they are starting!" Tiffany exclaims clapping her hands.

"Yippee," I mutter under my breath.

First they show District 1, Theia Cartelle and Haim Peridot. The commentators, whose names are Drift Boltrus and Callius Metaphoric, each give a brief opinion on the tributes while commenting on their costume.

"Yes Callius I do love these two and their costume, very dazzling," gushes Drift.

"Indeed, Haim looks quite the charming man, he looks quite strong and I look forward to seeing what he is capable of," comments Callius.

"As for Theia, a beautiful young girl! She seems very bright," Drift says nodding approvingly.

I don't pay much attention to the rest of them, all seeming quite similar in compliments. I do however pay attention to District 6.

"Oh I really just loved the little trains they had circling their costumes, they looked so cute with their little puffs of smoke," Drift says, eyes shining brightly.

"Quite true Drift, I really love the look of Hera. Everything about her draws me to her, the name, her face, just her demeanour. I simply love it," Callius says in awe.

Tiffany starts patting Hera on the back while she blushes and turns away from the TV.

"I would say sexy all the way, no doubt she will be a fan favourite," exclaims Drift.

"I really love the look of Aramid, his name is very unique!" Continues Drift.

"Most definitely, he seems like quite a charming and handsome young man," adds Callius. My spirits light up a tad at these comments. Maybe I'm not just seen as some delicate snowflake after all.

"Don't get me started on Atlas, I can't get enough of him!" Drift says pretending to faint.

"He is most definitely the sexiest tribute out, look at those cheekbones!" Says Callius.

"Yes and that hair," gasps Drift.

That's when I can't take it.

"I'm going to the bathroom," I say quickly.

"Is everything okay Aramid?" Tiffany asks sounding concerned.

"Yeah, everything is fine," I manage to spit out without sounding too bitter.

"Okay then, are you sure you want to miss this?" She asks.

"Fine by me," I say before running down the hallway. I remember something about Tiffany saying my room is the same side as on the train. I burst through the door on the right and slam it shut, making sure to lock it right after. I grab a pillow and scream into it. It feels like I shout for hours, even though it was only a minute or two. My voice becomes hoarse and I struggle to breathe so I remove the pillow.

I then go on to punch the wall. The thing is, I don't expect my fist to go through it. Did I really punch it that hard? I run into my bathroom, blinded by anger.

Why do I have to look so FEMININE?

I pant profusely as I stare into the mirror, at my curly golden locks. I need to change it. I need to change my hair or I'll never be considered a proper rebel. Just some weakling.

That's when I spot the scissors.

**A/N: I'm so so so so so so so sorry. I have been so bad at updating lately and I feel really bad for it. I do have an excuse though, I have been flat out with exams and exam study. My time has been so limited I haven't had the time to do anything really. Now that I'm getting this out, I just want everyone to know that I'm still here, and I will still be updating. If I don't it is because of exams. Once they are over though, I will have a lot more spare time to progress this story faster.**

**Anyways, we get to see some Aramid, Hera and some more Tiffany! And this time you can actually know what she looks like. I'm not sure when I will get the next chapter out, but it might not be until next weekend when all my exams are over. So don't panic if there isn't an update next week because my free time is quite limited at this point in time.**

**This chapter was a tad short because yeah I haven't had much time, but next chapter will be an introduction to training and an explanation of the Pillar Trial.**

**Until next time**

**-Ares**


	15. Rexx: Strategy is Everything

**Tiffany Altite, 25, Capitol:**

I have to check on him. I mean, I'm his escort and whatever happens to him, will be penalised on me. Not only that, I actually am genuinely concerned. I care about these two tributes, they actually mean something to me. I know both of them can't make it out, but I'm going to do my god damned best to get one of them out alive.

Something is up with Aramid at the moment. He went from being very cheerful to, plain depressed. Yes, yes I really need to check on him.

"Hera, I'll be back soon, I'm just going to check up on Aramid," I inform her as she watches Callius gush over the creativity for Vince and Cassie's costume.

"Okay no problem, I'm sure he is fine Tiffany," she says looking up at me.

"Well I'll make sure of that," I say and start making my way towards the hallway. I know his room is the one on the right, so I turn the knob on that door. It's locked. What if he is doing something serious in there?

"Avox, can I please have the key to this bedroom. This is a serious situation about my tributes well-being," I demand to the young Avox girl that stands at the beginning of the hallway. She nods and hands me the key which I quickly jam into the keyhole. I fling the door open and quickly look around.

"Oh my," I utter at the sight of a hole punched through the wall. I notice that the bathroom door is closed and instantly run over to it. The door gets flung open by me and there he is, staring wildly into the mirror, scissors positioned to chop of a chunk of his flawless golden hair.

"Aramid! Stop," I say softly, not wanting to aggravate him. His eyes turn to me, the fury slowly saps from his eyes as he recognises me.

"Tiffany? What are you doing here," he asks hoarsely, as if he had been screaming for hours.

"Please Aramid. Don't completely change yourself. You look great the way you are, because it is you," I say, causing his expression to turn from confusion to sadness.

"No. It's not me. I don't want to be ridiculed. Why can't I look like Atlas? Why can't I look tough, like a fighter, like a warrior? I'm sick of it," he says weakly, arm shaking while he holds the scissors.

"Aramid, I like you just the way you are, and so does everyone else. Nobody cares that you don't look like the warrior Atlas looks like, you're not ugly at all. Just drop the scissors and stay true to your own look," I say quietly.

"You do?" He says hopefully.

"Of course," I say firmly.

He looks like he is rethinking his actions, and he then drops the scissors. I take him into a hug and pat his back.

"I'll show them. I'll show them you don't need to look like Atlas to be a rebel. Just wait until the arena," he murmurs.

"No doubt that you will," I say, smiling.

...

**Rexx Kerdom, 16, D8:**

I jolt forward, confused by the unfamiliar surroundings of a plush bed and a whole wall that is a fish tank. Oh that's right, the whole taken to the Capitol, fight to the death, one comes out situation. Despite these set of events, I'm actually quite well rested and clear minded, when many of the others would probably be immensely terrified. That's a good thing, I need to be for today. Today is training I believe, and the place where most people will interact, show their skills, weaknesses, and the type of person they are.

I've only met three tributes personally so far. Of course my District partner, Libra. I do like her, she is very joyful to be around, most of the time.

Then I met Vince from District 10. He seemed like a decent guy, very friendly and sociable contrary to the situation of the Hunger Games. I can see him doing fairly well in the arena.

Then there is Atlas. Now when I said Libra was joyful to be around most of the time, most of the time was because she just won't shut up about this Atlas guy. Her constant ramblings about how amazing he is and other things I try to block out, has begun to get to me very quickly. How obsessed can you be over someone you have only met once?

Other than that, Atlas is someone to watch out for. He was pretty quiet when I met him and seemed somewhat, perceptive. Of course there is his body figure which is one that competes with none other than Danix and Haim, Fletcher still easily beats him, but he is a monster.

No doubt his looks have already gotten him some rewarding sponsors. From the sounds of it this sponsor system will play a key part of this game.

I will definitely watch out for Atlas, since he already seems to have Libra wrapped around his finger.

My thoughts are snapped back to reality by a sudden knocking on my door.

"Rexx, come on training will begin in fifteen minutes!" Fury calls out from behind the door.

"I'll be out in a second," I call back, pulling my covers off. I really need to get moving or I'll be late. I'm sure the consequences won't be pretty considering it's the Capitol. I notice a black jumpsuit with bright yellow accents rests at the foot of my bed. That definitely wasn't there last night. Well that's great to know, people can get in here even if the door is locked. I slide into the suit and can't help but notice how comfortable it feels against my chest, arms and legs. There is a white number 8 over my heart, and before I put it on I remember spotting 'District 8' on the upper back.

Resting on the floor next to the bed is a pair of thick socks and sleek leather boots. I guess I won't be getting blisters today. I head into the bathroom to wash my face, feeling the warm and fresh water feels amazing. I press a button on the panel that I discovered last night, in response I get sprayed with a quite alluring scent.

My hair is quite messy already, the way I like it, so I decide I might as well go meet Fury and Libra outside. Strangely enough, Libra wears the exact same clothing as I do. She sits at the dining table, directly across from Fury. They both look up at me as I enter the room.

"Ah, Rexx you're here," says Fury looking pleased. I step over to the table and drag out a chair from under it, right next to Libra.

"Yeah I guess so," I say, clearing my throat afterwards.

"I'm quite excited actually, I don't know why," says Libra, tapping her hand on the table.

"Oh I wonder why," I say, trying to not make the sarcasm too prominent.

"I think I might know the reason..." Libra says.

"It's Atlas, isn't it," I say bluntly.

"How did yo-?"

"Maybe because you haven't stopped talking about him since yesterday," I say cutting her off. She blushes and lowers her eyes.

"Don't worry Libra, you'll see him again," I say sighing.

"I didn't seem desperate yesterday, did I?" Libra asked, looking quite worried.

"No, you didn't," I reply trying to hold every bit of me in that screams to tell her to shut up.

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you about him," she says softly.

"You know what? Don't worry about it, its fine," I say.

"Sorry to interrupt guys, but you have to be down in the Training Centre in about no less than three minutes," Fury buts in.

Really? Already? I haven't even had breakfast. Libra lights up and grabs my arm, preceding to drag me over to the elevator.

"Okay guys, remember, don't reveal anything important to your fellow tributes. In the long run that will bite you in the back. Also, I know this might be a little nerve racking, but try to get to know some of your fellow tributes, and even aim for a possible alliance. From what I've heard, that will give you a likelier chance of surviving in terms of fights and such," Fury informs us.

"Trust me, I have an idea of what I'm doing," I say just as the elevator doors open. Both Libra and I step in, accompanied by Cassia from 10 and Whent from 12. Memorising everyone's name sure does have its perks.

Cassia and Whent chat as if they've known each other for years, not even noticing that we entered. The ride is mostly taken up of Whent bragging about things I'm sure he hasn't done to an easily impressed Cassia. Libra tries valiantly to hold in her laughing, regardless of her terrible effort, Whent nor Cassia notice anyways.

The elevator stops on level one, sliding open to reveal Theia. She scans the four of us, eyes lingering on me for a tad too long. Finally she steps forward so we can continue downwards. Now I haven't really gotten good vibes from Theia to begin with. She looks innocent, however there is something about her, the way she scans her surroundings, has that spark in her eye that shows that too much is going on in her head. It's even worse now that I'm in her presence and she refuses to falter her stare that strays directly at me.

"Can I help you?" I ask.

"Oh no thanks, I'm fine. Just thinking of how I'm going to kill you," she replies a bit too sweetly. She is definitely something more than her deceiving looks. She did volunteer after all, so the thought presents itself, why did she? Her comments don't really faze me, they more so amuse me instead.

"I think you underestimate me," I reply softly, barely audible over Whent and Cassia's loud conversation. The elevator comes to a stop on the final level and the doors slide open. It appears that everyone has arrived, I don't exactly notice anyone missing. Whent and Cassia stop talking when they notice everyone's eyes remain rested on them. Both look down in embarrassment, only to trudge over to Naomi.

Theia goes off somewhere else but I don't pay much attention to her as she holds little interest to me as of this moment, I'm more focused on the brute of a man standing up on a temporary stage, in the centre of everyone.

I stand behind Ancora so this man can begin his speech, however I find myself being dragged over to the right side of the group by Libra. Who happens to be there one might ask? Atlas. Fucking. Verdini. He stands looking strong as yesterday, accompanied by Vince, Minho, the District 6 pair and his District partner, Phionex.

"Hey," Libra whispers to him, looking quite nervous.

"Hi there," he whispers back.

Ugh, I'm in no mood to pay attention to them right now. Either way, the man up on the stage clears his throat and draws everybody's attention to him.

"Good morning tributes. I am the Head Trainer and in charge of you for the next three days, or you can refer to me as Theseus. Over the next three days, you will be expected to train for the upcoming Hunger Games, and trust me you will need it. The Hunger Games is not only a game, but a test. A test of strength, leadership, will, intelligence, stamina, endurance, strategy and most importantly, survival," says Theseus.

"You may all be thinking to head straight for the weapons, but as much as you need to know how to fight, you need to know how to survive in the wilderness. There is a chance that at least one third of you could die from starvation, dehydration, hypothermia, exposure, poison from plant life, an injury sustained from a battle or even just natural obstacles. Wouldn't want to die from falling, would we now?" Says Theseus, now pacing back and forth.

"There may not be rules in the arena. However there are in here. You are absolutely restricted from taking part in combat or physically harming any of your fellow students before you enter the arena. Once you enter, you are free to do what you like, kill how you like, torture how you like," Theseus says, grinning maliciously to show razor sharp teeth.

"Oh, and one last thing before you go. After lunch, we will be hosting a small... Trial, to test your endurance, fighting abilities, and strategy. This will be the only time you will be allowed to engage combat with your fellow tributes and I repeat, ONLY time. You are not allowed to kill," says Theseus sternly.

"What is he talking about?" Whispers Vince.

"I guess we are about to find out," I reply.

"Behold," Shouts Theseus as he presses a button. A large wall behind me begins parting both ways. It reveals a thick window with a large room behind it, surrounded by white walls.

"The Pillar Trial," Theseus finishes off his sentence. Many of the other tributes gasp and murmur in awe. The room contains enough water that one could easily fall in without hitting the bottom, but also stand up in. In the middle is a set of 12 large pillars, all containing a platform on top with holes and gaps in between. I would estimate the top to be about the size of a basketball court.

"This is somewhat of a mini game before the actual game. You will be placed on top and you are to remain in those positions until the timer is done counting down. Once it is finished, each one of you will battle to throw, punch, kick, whatever, each other off," explains Theseus.

"There is no rule against teaming, and you are not expected to try to hurt each other. Only to force each other off of the pillars," says Theseus.

"Now, what happens after this? The first five to fall into the water below, will not be allowed to compete in the second trial. However, the two remaining tributes will get a slight advantage in the next trial, the better the advantage being if you are the only one remaining on the Pillars," Theseus informs us.

"So, there are trainers all around if you are looking to fight or spar with anyone, so let's begin!" He says enthusiastically. People begin to head off to random stations, some talking excitedly with other tributes, others just alone. I watch as Fletcher immediately steps up to the axe section, rips the axe out of the trainers hand who somewhat falters in fear, and haul the axe into a mannequin about 10 metres away.

"Phionex, I want the eight's to join us," I hear Atlas murmurs to his District partner.

"And Vince too."

"Are you sure?" She replies doubtingly.

"Libra is trustworthy," he says sounding confident in that comment.

"What about her District partner?"

"Rexx? She trusts him, so I do too," he replies nodding.

"Okay, I guess it couldn't hurt to recruit some more members for the United," she says shrugging. Atlas turns to Libra, Vince and I.

"Would you be willing to join our alliance?" He asks the three of us.

"Oh! Yes yes of course! I would love to!" Libra says almost bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Sure, thanks for the offer," Vince says nodding.

"Rexx? What about you?" Libra says.

I think for a moment. If I wasn't to join then I would lose a lot of possible protection. Joining would get me a lot further into the game. Besides, I should stick with Libra, and keep my eye on her to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. I would be stupid, to not accept.

"Count me in," I say, giving her a warm smile.

"Okay great, so let's get to training," says Minho, rubbing his hands in anticipation. He almost sprints over to one of the weapon stations, while Vince and Phionex head off after him, and Hera and Aramid step off to the Poisonous Flora station. Libra and Atlas wander off slowly, talking to each other about God knows what.

I turn and take one last look at the Pillar Trial. All I can say is, they must have some benefit for winning, so I have to try. But it will be tough.

**A/N: Even in my time of exams, I still just couldn't resist writing this chapter. All the interactions! And I really wanted to let you guys know what the Pillar Trial is. So now that you know, the idea was inspired by an old SYOT written by Living In Ruins. Some may know this author, however they have been inactive for a very long time now. That SYOT got me interested in SYOT's to begin with. So feel free to checkout that one, and I'll let you know that's where the idea stemmed from. I'm not copying, it was inspired by.**

**I don't know when the next chapter will be out because I still have a weeks worth of exams, but I'm really excited to write it because it is the Pillar Trial in action. The latest will be Sunday next weekend.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Ares**


	16. Minho: The Pillar Trial

**CLARIFICATION: What each tribute places is no indication to how well they will do in the games. So whoever wins could die in the bloodbath for all we know. So please don't get upset if your tribute didn't do well, because that doesn't mean they will die in the games.**

**Minho Lyun, 17, D5:**

Theseus may have said to have a variety of stations you visit, but I have not moved from any of the weapon stations all day. I think I've used every single one at least a couple of times. Damn, it feels good to have my hands gripping the handle of one of these weapons. Right now I clutch the hilt of a sword. It's shiny metal and cool touch only makes me feel more at home.

_Thwack._

Ah yes, the satisfying feeling to a dummies head being chopped clean off.

_Thwack._

And the slicing of both arms in a diagonal pattern, brilliant.

_Doof._

One slice diagonally down the torso.

_Doof._

The other side makes an X.

_Chink._

The sound of metal on metal. This is because I have sliced the dummy fully down the middle so it went through it and connected with the metal stand that holds it up.

It's good to be training again. Sadly, I believe today is over, as the lunch bell has begun to ring. Doesn't that mean that we are doing that Pillar Trial thing?

The other tributes all stop what they are doing and begin walking over to the lunchroom, in groups or alone. I spot Phionex and the Vince guy from 10 so I head over to them.

"Have you guys stuck together this whole time?" I ask.

"Oh wow, yeah I guess we have," replies Phionex looking up at Vince.

"I didn't even realise," he says scratching his head.

"Well we have that pillar thing soon, so we're going to have to stick together for that," I say as I watch that girl from 1 saying something to the girl from 3. She looks like she almost growls at her when the Three girl lashes something back and walks off.

As confident as I am against most of these pricks, some still catch my eye as a potential threat. Such as Fletcher from District 9 and Ladonna from District 2. The boy from 1 also gives the same vibes, what was it, Haim I think?

"They seem like the friendliest bunch," Vince says sarcastically, referring to the girls from 1 and 3.

"Let's regroup in the lunch room," says Phionex turning on her heel with both Vince and I following in pursuit. The lunch room is decently sized, 12 semi-big tables are arranged throughout. I notice that the rest of our pack have placed themselves in the left corner of the room. Everyone is there, Aramid, Hera, Atlas, Libra, and Rexx all chat quietly, silently observing the other tributes scattered around the room.

"So... We all ready for this thing?" I ask rubbing my hands together.

"Hell yeah!" Says Aramid, a fiery glint in his eye.

"What exactly are we aiming to do?" Rexx asks softly.

"What do you mean?" Replies Hera.

"Well, are we going full offence, or playing completely defensive and fending off attackers?" States Rexx.

"Pffft, fuck that! We go all out," I say. Atlas and a couple of the others nod while Rexx just shakes his head.

"Problem there?" I ask Rexx.

"No Minho, I respect your decision, I just think having a strategy would help" he replies calmly.

"Good then, because I'm gonna kick some ass!" I say getting fired up again. When you are brought up around violence and suffering, it's very unusual to go to such a peaceful and silent community such as in the Capitol itself. It has been a while since I have been able to fight anyone, and I've been craving it for a while now. The fact that we are able to do this kind of satisfies me enough until the games.

We are interrupted by the announcement from the front of the room, well not so much an announcement, more just Theseus trying to sway our attention his way by coughing. Everyone is curious enough about this whole thing to instantly do so as well.

"Congratulations tributes! You have officially made it through day 1 of training. However that's only the training part of it," he says.

"Now, the time has come to begin our next event. If there are some of you that are stupid enough to not pay attention to what we have to say, let me remind you. The Pillar Trial. A Trial of endurance, stamina, strength and strategy," states Theseus.

"What did I say," mutters Rexx.

"Before we can continue, Mr Wilds, you are to be escorted out. All will be explained in time," says Theseus.

I notice that many people appear to let out a whoosh of air as Fletcher stands and gets escorted out by six or so Peacekeepers. I hadn't even thought about playing Fletcher, as much as I hate to admit it, which would have been a challenge.

With his supposed history, I am not surprised he is not being allowed to take part in this competition.

"So now it is time. Tributes, if you could just follow me," says Theseus. Chairs scrape and low muttering from one tribute to the other burst into existence as the Twenty-thee of us curiously follow Theseus into a new door way and up a flight of stairs, turning into a dimly lit corridor.

"Who do you guys think will win this?" Vince whispers as we trudge down the hallway in almost a one filed line.

"One of us, we will make sure of it," replies Atlas. I can't be too sure, however I feel like Aramid mutters something along the lines of 'it won't be you', but I honestly don't really care what he has to say. It's going to be me and that's all that matters.

Theseus leads us into a circular room, which has a very bluish lighting to it. It's quite dark, I feel like I'm underground in some sort of bunker.

_Soldiers._

_Wounded._

_I want to help._

_I can't._

_I must leave the crevice._

_Into the battle._

My breathing returns to a slower pace when I realise I'm not in the crevice. That... Shithole, of a bunker. Fuck, these flashes of the rebellion, are really starting to get to me.

"This is the Dock, below us right now are the pillars," Theseus explains.

"All of you are to enter one of these rooms," he says, motioning to all the doors around the Dock.

"Your protective gear awaits you in there, and you are expected to immediately put them on. Once each tribute has done so, you must step onto the circle in the middle of the floor. That is where you will be transported down below," he states.

"Any questions?" He is answered by silence.

"Great! I'll see you on the other side," Theseus smirks.

"Now choose a room."

Everyone starts walking to a different room, stepping into them hesitantly. I choose a room next to Hera and Ancora. Ancora steps right in without a second glance. I make brief eye contact with Hera just as we are about to step into our separate rooms.

"Good luck," she says.

"You too," I say awkwardly. I'm not the person to usually give compliments if I must admit.

Once I step inside, the door that looks like a vault door gives a hiss as it slowly closes. It makes a loud thud as it closes and locks in. The room is a lot brighter than out in the Dock. I spot what I'm meant to be wearing neatly in front of me on a seat. The clothing looks like riot gear, similar to what the Peacekeepers wear. It is navy blue in colour and is padded over the entirety of my body, yet still malleable enough to move in.

There are separate to it, a pair of gloves that fit perfectly. I've worn something similar before, they are meant to soften the blow to your hands while still being powerful enough to do the full damage.

Next is a pair of black boots, almost the same to what we wear in training. Last of all is a helmet. Again it is similar to a Peacekeeper helmet, except it is clear at the front rather than black, so we can see who each other are.

From the looks of what I'm wearing, it will be very difficult for anyone to actually get hurt.

"_Launch in... 30 seconds... Please step into the middle of the circle,_" a cool female voice says over a speaker.

Well here it begins I guess. I step into the circle, which kind of looks like it has been cut out of the ground. What is this meant to do?

_"Launch in... 15 seconds... Please step into the middle of the circle,_" says the female voice. Does it not realise I'm already standing in the circle?

"_Launch in... 5 seconds... Please step into the middle of the circle,_" she says again.

For fuck sake, I am you bi-

A clear tube snaps up from the outline of the circle, enclosing me inside. The floor slowly begins to descend, soon enough becoming flooded with light. I can see all the others standing in their respective tubes. Hera is still right next to me, as is Ancora. The rest of the United are spread out all around the pillars. The tube finally rises back up once I am on the pillars, leaving me to have fresh air.

"_5...4...3...2...1... Let the trial commence," _says the women from before.

The siren blares loudly causing many to block their ears, even with the helmets. I watch as Whent stumbles back in surprise, and falls right off the edge down into the water below.

_"Twenty Two remain," _says the woman. I laugh out loud, this will be easy! One tribute is already gone because they were way too uncoordinated. That makes my job so much simpler. At this announcement, chaos ensues. People chase after others while other tributes flee, some get straight into battle.

"Fuck this, I'm not playing any of your games," huffs Ancora who hasn't budged. Her eyes bulge as she gets lifted up from someone behind her. Ancora gets hurled off the pillars, flying into the water. In her place I am greeted by the snarling kid from District 2, Nero.

"_Twenty One remain," _says the woman.

Oh, now here we go. Nero runs at me and aims for an uppercut. I grab his fist and fling him behind me. He manages to hold on and brings me down with him. I see stars when he knocks me in the back of the head, causing me to stumble a bit, almost falling into the gap between the platforms.

I'm angry now, this is not how it goes down. I sprint back at Nero and clobber him in the jaw, since he lost his helmet already. He steps back and I slide next to him and take out his leg from beneath him. I finish off by slamming my hand into his chest and throwing him into the floor.

"Minho!" Atlas yells.

"What?" I shout back.

"The aim is to get them off, not to beat the shit out of them!" He says while fending off Haim. I suppose I should just finish Nero off. However, when I look down Nero is gone. I look up to see Nero sprinting at Naomi and Dayta, who are both in the midst of a fight. Dayta appears to have the upper hand, and even looks like he is about to kick Naomi off the platform, however Nero has already collided with Naomi, sending her flying off and stealing Dayta's glory.

_"Twenty remain," _says the woman.

Dayta realises who he now faces and presents an expression of determination. He dodges Nero's first punch that was aimed at his face, jumps to the side to avoid Nero's knee, and jabs Nero in the stomach. However, Nero doesn't appear at all deterred and quickly ruins Dayta's triumph with an elbow to the jaw.

Dayta looks dazed, and shortly after tumbles off.

_"Nineteen remain," _says the woman.

I feel a pair of humongous hands grab my back, lifting me up like Nero did to Ancora and throwing me across away, and again almost into the gap. I land with a thud, quickly regain my stance and turn around to fight Ladonna. I make a connection with her hip, causing her to grunt. I then slam my fist into her chest and dodge her swipe. However, her swipe counters and backhands my face.

Her power causes me to once again see stars. She picks me up by the front of the shirt and stares at me victoriously.

"You fight well, better than anyone that I have before," she says.

"Yeah. And it's going to stay that way," I growl. I then go on to head butt her head, causing her to release me and step back. I kick her in the stomach causing her to stumble back more, giving me time to escape. I can't fight her yet, I just recovered from Nero.

I notice that my group is somewhat in the middle, at least Rexx and Hera is. Smart, they have less of a chance of getting knocked off, unless they do through the gaps. I arrive there, shortly after with Vince.

"Where is Phionex?" Vince asks.

"I haven't seen her," replies Rexx. Somehow through all the chaos, I manage to spot Phionex, closing in on a helpless Cassia.

"Over there," I point showing Vince. He heads in her direction, and both Hera and I follow closely. Cassia is almost at the edge of the pillar. Phionex prepares to launch herself at her, arms posed and legs ready to take off.

"I'm sorry kid, I need to do this," Phionex says. I think both Vince and I see it at the same time, the mischievous grin in Cassia's face, the glint of anticipation in her eyes. Something is up.

"Phionex wait!" Vince calls. It's too late. Phionex runs at Cassia, not seeing Cassia ready to leap to the side, and stick out her leg. Her small size makes it easy for her, easy to trip Phionex and cause her to teeter off the edge of the pillar. She turns and gives a look of regret at both Vince and I while Cassia runs off. She then splashes into the water below.

_"Eighteen remain, all remaining tributes are able to compete in the next trial," _says the woman. Next trial? There is going to be another one? I can't think about that now, I am still in the middle of this trial, and the United are a member down.

"Fuck! Where did that little bitch go?" Vince spits angrily.

"I'm not sure!" Hera replies. Vince runs off in the direction that Cassia ran in, leaving Hera and I. Her eyes widen at the sight of something behind me.

"Minho watch out!" She shouts, pushing me away. I watch as Dana comes flying through where I just was, shortly followed by the girl from District 1, laughing hysterically.

"You think you can beat me?" The girl says chuckling.

"Fuck you Theia," Dana replies, spitting blood. How she is bleeding? I have no clue. That's what that girls name is, Theia.

"That's no way to treat someone that just beat you! Poor sports-man ship!" Theia exclaims. Dana punches Theia in the gut, and then the mouth. I can hear the air leave her as she bends over in pain. Dana gets up and steps over Theia.

"You're done," Dana spits, preparing to push Theia off. Theia whips her head up, knocking Dana in the chin. Dana appears shocked, and barely can do anything to stop Theia pushing her off the pillar.

_"Seventeen remain,"_ says the woman.

"Bitch," spits Theia as she wipes her mouth. Theia notices just in time that Hera has swung at her, grabbing her fist and forcing it behind her back. Hera cries out in pain struggling to break out of her hold.

"Let her go!" I growl. Theia sneers at me, knowing that I can't push her off without pushing Hera off as well.

"Suit yourself," she says sweetly. She sticks her leg out and pushes Hera off by tripping her. I hear Hera scream as she falls, shortly followed by a splash.

_"Sixteen remain," _says that woman again.

Theia leaps at me, only to have me slap her out of the way. She collides with the ground, shortly after snarling and picking herself back up. She runs at me and tries to punch my face. I block with my left arm and go to punch her in the stomach, which she grabs. This leaves us in some sort of a stale mate, staring at each other. Wow, she is actually really beautiful. Her eyes are so blue, and a couple strands of her blonde hair have come separated from her pony tail. Her gaze also appears to soften and so does both of our grips.

Suddenly, a grip on the back of my neck causes me to be lifted from the ground. Theia takes this opportunity to flee.

"Look who I'm meeting again," says a voice all too familiar. I'm turned to face Ladonna, yet again. This time she holds me a distance away from her face so I can't head butt her. I try to get rid of her grasp around my neck, but there is nothing I can do. Ladonna holds me over the edge of the pillar, preparing to drop me. This is it, I'm eliminated.

"So long," she says.

"Hey! Leave my District partner alone!" I hear someone scream. I manage to see out of the corner of my eye, Laelia sprinting at Ladonna. I notice she has disposed of her helmet and is letting her hair out. She leaps about two meters away from Ladonna, changing into a fly kick and making connection with Ladonna.

Ladonna is almost hit off the edge, however she grabs Laelia's leg and swings her towards the water. I watch as Laelia whips her head and her hair makes contact with the side of Ladonna's head. A loud metallic sound can be heard, as I topple to the ground, Ladonna landing next to me.

_"Fifteen remain," _I hear the woman say. Laelia is gone. Ladonna must have chucked her off, and the momentum must have tossed both her and I the opposite way, which means I'm still in this. I hop up to see Ladonna dazed and confused, sort of just stumbling around. What is Laelia's hair made of? She just whacked Ladonna with it and now she is like this. I can't waste this opportunity.

I run at Ladonna and grab her shoulder, only to punch her in the stomach.

"That was for before," I say.

I then punch her left side of the face.

"That was for almost eliminating me then," I say.

I then backhand her right side of the face.

"That was for eliminating Laelia," I say.

I then proceed to upper cut her off the platform.

"And that was just because," I finish.

_"Fourteen remain," _says the woman. That was very satisfying. Who is left of the United? There is me, Atlas, Aramid, Vince, Rexx, and I think Libra. Speaking of Libra, I spot her not too far away, cornered by Quinn.

"I'm sorry District 8, but I need to do this to win," he says smirking. Libra stands ready to fight, however I can't see her fairing to well against him. Suddenly, Quinn is knocked over by Vince who has appeared from behind him.

"Get out of here Libra, I'll take care of him!" He says, urging her to get away.

"I can't just leave you to fight him," she argues.

"Just go!" He insists. Quinn picks himself up and dives head first into Vince's chest. Vince falls onto his ass, shortly after, sweeping Quinn's legs out from underneath him. Quinn falls flat on his face, allowing Vince to get up. Quinn rests on the edge of the pillar, Vince's foot prepares to kick him off. I see it before Vince does. Quinn slams his fist right into where Vince's testicles are. I hear Vince utter a squeak as he grabs his balls. Quinn proceeds to grab his leg and drag Vince off of the platform.

_"Thirteen remain,"_ says the same damn woman.

Well that's just great, more of our alliance has already been eliminated. I begin to run over to Quinn who is already weakened from his fight with Vince. He has just feebly gotten up, and sees me coming. He gets ready to defend himself, but he knows he doesn't stand a chance against me in the position he is in. Suddenly, before I reach him, Rexx comes out of nowhere and RKO's Quinn. Quinn lies unconscious on the ground, shortly after getting pushed off by Rexx.

_"Twelve remain," _says the woman. I come to a stop as I reach Rexx and lean over to catch my breath.

"I had it," I pant.

"Sorry Minho, I didn't even see you," says Rexx who still appears satisfied.

"Don't worry about it, you can make up for it later," I say noticing Atlas in the midst of an intense fight with Danix. The two of us run over to them, Danix has achieved in getting Atlas into a headlock somehow, which I understand because Danix is a pretty muscular boy. He doesn't see me coming and therefore is in no way prepared for my fist as it flies into the back of his head.

"Uhh fuck," he murmurs letting go of Atlas. Atlas uses this circumstance to then elbow him in the face. Once he recovers, he pulls back his arm to strike Atlas, however I grab it and Atlas grabs his other arm.

"Let go of me!" He shouts as we drag him towards the edge.

"Rexx! Finish him!" Atlas shouts raspily. Rexx steps up to a struggling Danix and goes on to Sparta kick him off the pillar.

_"Eleven remain," _says the woman yet again. We need to recover desperately, however at the sight of Rhode head butting Libra, Atlas roars and chases Rhode. I watch, too tired to move, as Libra stumbles into the girl from District 3, the only other tribute I can't remember. I learn her name as Libra pleads.

"Liesel, please don't," Libra begs. Liesel shakes her head and kicks her in the stomach. Libra tumbles back and dodges a second kick.

"Rexx... Libra," I pant, pointing at her. Rexx looks alert and leaps to his feet.

"Oh no," he says, running after the pair. I know it's too late. Liesel holds Libra by the throat, similar to how Ladonna held me, except she was holding my whole body up. Libra kneels on the edge, basically defeated, and too exhausted from her other battles. Liesel pushes her off and she falls, nothing being able to help her.

_"Ten remain," _says the woman. Rexx knocks into Liesel five seconds too late. They both go flying onto one of the other platforms. This is when I notice Atlas and Rhode deep in battle. Rhode appears very skilled. However she cannot compare to the anger and skill of a former rebel. Atlas dodges her punch and blocks a kick aimed for his crotch. He answers with a knee to Rhode's stomach.

Rhode doubles over in pain, only to have Atlas uppercut her jaw. She stumbles back and Atlas drop kicks her several meters. Rhode almost falls through the gap, managing to hold onto the platform. Atlas walks up to her as she struggles to pull herself up. He grabs her wrists, causing him to be the only thing between her and falling into the water below. Not for much longer. Atlas drops her, causing her to scream as she falls.

_"Nine remain,"_ says the woman. Only nine of us are left. Who is left? From our alliance, we still have myself, Atlas, Aramid who is in the midst of fighting and Rexx who is fighting Liesel, both of them seem to be faring very well. This leaves Haim who is fighting Aramid, Theia and Nero who are fighting each other, and Cassia surprisingly. I need to be fighting. Why am I still watching?

I run over to Aramid and Haim, seeing as this fight in particular has lasted a long time. Aramid is laying multiple punches into Haim's stomach. Haim finally blocks and takes a swing at Aramid, making contact with his chest and causing him to slide away.

"I thought you would be better than that, you are from District 6 after all," Haim says mockingly. Aramid gets up and wipes his brow.

"Trust me, I am," Aramid says darkly. Aramid charges at Haim and knees him in the gut, shortly after, punching him in the jaw. Haim spits blood to his side and sneers at Aramid.

"Are you kidding me? This bitch is better than you," Haim laughs, grabbing Cassia who was trying to sneak up behind him. Cassia cries out and tries to kick Haim who swiftly avoids the kicks.

"And look what is going to happen to her," he says. Haim then proceeds to throw Cassia off the edge.

_"Eight remain," _announces the woman.

I don't even see Atlas as he punches Haim. However Haim is quick to counter-attack. He elbows Atlas in the nose, causing blood to pour out. I guess this is why we were meant to keep the helmets on. Didn't stop most people.

Everyone can hear the pounding footsteps getting closer, except for Atlas. Haim is quick to jump out of the way of a raging Nero, whom I haven't fought since the start. Nero barrels straight into Atlas who was still trying to stop the bleeding from his nose. Both Atlas and Nero go flying thanks to the immense speed Nero was running at. Atlas gets thrown off the pillar by the force.

_"Seven remain," _the woman says.

Nero soon follows Atlas over the edge, taking out the two of them.

_"Six remain," _the woman announces. Everyone has sort of met up in the centre, distracted by the downfall of Atlas and Nero. We stand in a circle, my alliance, Aramid, Rexx and myself, and the other three, Haim, Theia, and Liesel. It's between District 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8.

Aramid is the first to move. He throws himself at Haim and begins to brawl with him. I start running at Liesel, however both Rexx and Theia engage in a battle, cutting us off. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows, anything that can cause the other to fall off is attempted. Until finally someone does fall off.

_"Five remain," _says the woman announcer. Aramid stands panting, worn from his fight. Haim had teetered on the edge before Aramid had finally kicked him off. Down goes one of the six. Both Aramid and I stare at each other, finally laughing in disbelief. Not for long. Liesel jumps out from behind Aramid and shoves him off the edge.

_"Four remain,"_ says the woman. Liesel somehow managed to manoeuvre her way around Theia and Rexx's fight, even though they had blocked most of the pillar off. Aramid was too fatigued, he wouldn't have been able to win. Come to think of it, I cannot hear Rexx and Theia fighting anymore. I turn to see Rexx, holding Theia by the wrist.

"I told you not to underestimate me," he says, then letting her go. Theia falls without a word, followed by a splash.

_"Three remain," _announces the woman. Three. Liesel, Rexx, and I. Only one more needs to fall off so the other two can get an advantage in the next trial. Something occurs to me. I know it's mean, and it's completely against my alliance, but if I do this, I automatically get the advantage. If I don't, then I risk being the third to fall. With this I step up to Rexx who has his back turned.

"Sorry Rexx, but I need this advantage," I say softly.

"Should've let me take out Quinn earlier."

Before he has time to react, I push Rexx forward, which isn't a massive effort as he is weakened already. Rexx manages to turn just before he falls, allowing me to see his expression of sadness and disappoint, accusing me of betrayal, which I technically did.

_"Two remain," _says the woman.

"Well. I definitely expected to be here, but not with you," I say as both Liesel and I begin to circle each other.

"If I must admit, didn't expect you to still be around myself," Liesel replies, smirking.

"Who are you to make those judgements, I think it's pretty obvious what will go down," I say sneering.

"Of course, you going off the side is what will happen," she says firmly.

"Haha, you think you're going to beat me?" I ask mockingly.

"Exactly what I think," she replies. She swings at my head which I easily block and then at my waist which I block again. I receive a knee to the stomach instead, causing the air to be knocked out of me. In response, I slam my head into hers, pretty much the exact same way I did to Ladonna's, except this time when I go to kick her back, she grabs my leg and swings me towards her. I land flat on my back with her still holding my ankle. I heave my legs over my head, flinging her with them and roll onto my knees.

Liesel lies on the edge now. She begins to lift herself up, however I slam my hand into her chest causing her to smash back down. I get on top of her, ready to fling her off until something extremely wrong happens. Her foot connects with my testicles, causing me to gasp and let go of her.

She grabs my wrist and tosses my body over her and into the gap. I have trouble breathing or talking due to the severe pain in my testicular region. I now hang limply above the drop into the water, only prevented from doing so by her holding my wrist.

Liesel pokes her head over and smirks at me.

"Funny. I thought you said you were going to win," she says mockingly. I groan in response.

"Any last words before you are eliminated?" She says, making an act of putting her hand to her ear to hear me better.

"Fuck you," is all I manage to get out.

"Suit yourself," she says, shrugging. Liesel lets go of my wrist, causing me to fall down into the water below. The surprisingly warm water engulfs my body, I float limply not bothering to go up for air. I hear faint words from above the water.

_"One remains, congratulations Liesel Varner of District 3, you have conquered the Pillar Trial," _says that fucking annoying robot woman.

I notice the floor open up from below me, a metal claw emerges and drags me into it. Well looks like I'm going to die now. Sweet.

The water drains out of the room I've been dragged into, a door soon opens flooding it with light. I'm greeted by a quite horrendous sight. It goes by the name of my escort.

"Great job idiot! You lost to a fucking girl," she grunts.

**A/N: That took a long time. This is my longest chapter yet, and that is why it took a bit longer to write. Anyways, how did I do? Did you like the Pillar Trials? Who did you think would win? Would love to hear some feedback. I've got holidays now, so hopefully the next chapter will be out soon!**

**-Ares**


	17. Theia: Unlike Me

**WARNING: Lots of swearing. Maybe too much.**

**Theia Cartelle, 16, D1:**

"Son of a bitch!"

"Fuck!"

"Bastard!" I cough and splutter all of these things as I spit out the mouthful of water that I had. I was going to win! Thanks to that Rexx guy, I got eliminated. Just what I want. God I'm a failure, I lost to someone from District 8 of all districts.

Once upon a time, I would probably have wanted to work with the Eight's. Not anymore. Those times have changed. If I'm going to get to those Capitol bastards, I'm going to have to get through these Districts, specifically Districts 6, 7 and 8 it seems.

I don't know who has won, nor do I know how well the others did. I was concentrating on staying on those pillars the whole time. I know for a fact I eliminated the girl from 12, Dana Woodman. She thought she could eliminate me? Oh how wrong she was. Instead she copped a hit to the chin. I believe I also eliminated the girl from 6, Hera Loughbrook. Interesting, I eliminated someone from the supposed great District of 6.

I step out onto the padded floor, also noticing that Heath sits in the corner of the room. He is accompanied by my district partner, Haim.

"So I take it you did well?" Heath asks, brushing off his shoulder.

"Shut up Heath!" I lash out, pulling off my protective gear which leaves me in my original training uniform.

"Oh well if you don't want to talk about it, I will just find out tonight on the highlights," he says smirking.

"Wait. You weren't watching?" I say flatly.

"No, they had to wait for us at the bottom," replies Haim who rubs his head.

"And what do you mean highlights? I thought the public weren't meant to know how we did in training," I say as I peel off my wet gloves.

"The public won't see anything, its exclusive to the training tower and it's mainly for us escorts to watch as we didn't get to see what happened," he says calmly.

"You would see me win if it wasn't for that little shit from 6," Haim spits venomously.

"Oh please. I would have beaten you with my eyes closed and my arms tied behind my back," I say rolling my eyes.

"Then why are you here?" Haim asks. I don't reply instantly, not wanting to degrade myself with my pitiful excuse of failure.

"Eight," is all I say before the blow dryer turns on. It does a full body dry, causing my hair to whip wildly all around my face. Before too long, I am completely dry. The noise stops only to reveal Haim's mocking laughter.

"Wow! You lost to that guy? I thought I had it bad," he says.

"Shut the fuck up. I lasted longer than you, and I always will last longer than you," I say jabbing my finger into his chest. I make sure I knock into him as I storm out of the room into a corridor. It's a long and straight one, leading to a doorway at the end. I reach the doorway and am faced with the elevator. The trip up isn't long at all. I'm lucky enough to be left alone, and it only needs to go to the first level for me to be at the District 1 floor. The doors open to an empty apartment. Good, I don't have to put up with my obnoxious Stylist.

The channel on the TV is just some talk show about us again. They don't seem to falter their interest in us. Right now they are talking about the biggest heart throbs out of the tributes. They do realise that some of us are still under the age of eighteen right? Right now they talk about the boy from District 7, Atlas. They finish up on the topic of him and then begin talking about Haim.

"Ugh, disgusting," I say storming into my room. Really? Haim of all people? He is such an annoying... Oh I cannot express how much he pisses me off. He is like an annoying older brother, that I want to literally kill. LITERALLY. There will be a time for that.

I slump down into the plush office chair I have in my room, it is placed behind the smooth red wood table. I have resting on the desk, my notebook. I found it on the train trip here, and figured that I might as well use it. In fact, it was the one from when we watched the Reaping's. I have spent the majority of the day stimulating my skills, but also observing my competition.

I etch down on the first page, _Haim._ Following this I write down what I have gathered.

_Extremely cocky. Infuriating. Arrogant Jackass._

_Most likely a threat, from what I gathered. He isn't hesitant in showing off his abilities and likes to make sure people are watching him. Content on making snarky remarks about other people's failure and his supposed superiority. He is one of the biggest shit-talkers here._

I smirk at my first couple of descriptive words for Haim. They match his persona perfectly.

Next I jot down _Nero._

_Rage ridden. Destructive. Requires Anger management._

_I can't help but notice how much this tribute has changed from his reaping. Something has happened to him or he was completely bull-shitting at the reaping. He appears very powerful, even fought back Peacekeepers at training when they tried to contain him. He spent most of the time in a weapon stations that had to be sealed off when he was at them. He did very well in the Pillar Trial, even eliminating Atlas._

I have to watch out for Nero, he is definitely a threat. I feel like he isn't all there, well at least he isn't anymore.

_Ladonna._

_Aggressive. Powerful. Hostile._

_Ladonna is quite a questionable tribute. She spends most of her time slumped against the wall in complete self-pity. Regardless of this, she is still a very strong girl, being able to lift people up by the neck. She is one to keep a look out on and potentially avoid in the arena, however she doesn't seem to be overly good in combat, and relies on her strength._

I read back over what I have written so far. It doesn't look like I'm missing anything.

_Dayta._

_He isn't all that strong. He knows various tactics in fighting, however his strength does not fare well against the likes of others. His brain on the other hand, quite phenomenal, I haven't seen anything like it. He whizzes through the survival tests, excelling in poisonous flora and such. So far he has strayed away from particular stations involving technology or mechanical objects._

I would be lying if I didn't agree that Dayta is potentially the smartest tribute out of the lot. It disgusts me however, that District 3 scum is superior in knowledge. I make sure to mark Dayta as a major target, not only because he is incredibly intelligent, but simply because I don't like him or District 3. I can't wait to carve his skin and wear his rib-cage as a crown.

_Liesel._

_Sly. Elusive. Unpredictable._

_I did notice Liesel quite a bit. From her constant banter with Dayta to her refusal to interact with other tributes, she remained under the radar for most people, except me. I notice just before I was eliminated, she was still taking part in the Pillar Trial. She appears skilled in either combat, or stealth and moving about unnoticed._

Liesel was the only female tribute left besides me, what she placed I still don't know. I wouldn't mind wearing her skin either, I hate anything that comes out of District 3.

_Danix._

_Shy. Quiet. Strong._

_Kind of a BFG like person. He is obviously very strong however likes to remain contained and under the radar. _

Unfortunately, there is not much to go off of about Danix at this point in time. He appears to be a potential threat, however he honestly just hasn't shown much to prove that. I feel like he may be limiting what he shows.

_Rhode_.

_Blunt. Humourless. Doesn't take shit._

_Rhode is quite a confusing one as well. She refuses to touch any of the weapon stations and remains flat and to the point with basically everyone she interacts with. She hasn't revealed much about herself at all, thus I will remain keeping a close eye on her._

I can't remember much about her to write down, all I remember is she fought pretty well against Atlas, and made Libra easy to finish off for Liesel.

_Minho._

_Brutal. Dangerous. Mysterious._

_This is by far, potentially the most vicious tribute. And I like it. Savage, skilled in fighting, extremely skilled in fighting, even almost beating me, Minho is definitely one of the biggest threats out there. He spends all of his time at the weapons stations and does little less than a glance towards the other stations._

Something stirs in my chest at the thought of Minho, something I'm not exactly familiar in experiencing before. I'm not exactly sure what happened, however there was a point in time where we both stopped fighting and... Stared at each other. I had misplaced my train of thought and got lost in his eyes. It was unlike anything I have felt before, something I have fought against for so long. But I like the feeling. I don't know what I felt during the Pillar Trial, but it wasn't normal for Theia Cartelle. I shake the thought and continue.

_Laelia._

_Snappy. Blasphemic. Acting?_

_She has changed significantly since her Reaping like Nero. At first she appeared very similar to me. Quite violent, a habit of cursing excessively. She now appears taken aback and has remained on somewhat of a rather quiet side during training. She interacts with next to nobody, and spends the majority of her time sparring with trainers._

All in all, the pair from District 5 were rather predictable in their personalities. Coming from that particular place, it isn't a surprise that they act the way they do.

_Aramid._

_Fighter. Rebellious. Determined._

_Aramid tends to spend a lot of time with his District partner Hera. He is very skilled in combat and weaponry, and survived a long time during the Pillar Trial. He fuels the rebellious spirits of his alliance, except for one. Most of his time is spent at weaponry stations._

Words just spew onto the page about my thoughts on the District that led the rebellion. Aramid certainly looks like a softy, however I've seen him do damage to those dummies.

_Hera._

_Voice of reason. Confident. Willing._

_Hera is very much like a typical District 6 person. She appears to know a thing or two about fighting and weapons as expected, and even attempted to fight me on the pillars. She has made sure to go to a variety of survival stations, however has spent her fair share of time at some of the weaponry stations._

I did enjoy tossing her off the edge if I do say so myself.

_Atlas._

_Leader. Superior. Heart throb._

_Upon recently witnessing a Capitol television program, this had led me to believe that Atlas may be one of the most appealing tributes to the Capitol, probably leading in this sponsor system they talk about. He is the leader of the supposed 'United Pack' and has proved to be highly influential over Libra from District 8. Atlas may be one of the most dangerous competition out there._

I make sure to mark Atlas down as a major target.

_Phionex._

_Feisty. Very similar to Aramid._

_Phionex has shown herself to be a very rebellious tribute. Alongside Aramid, she takes pride in her rebellious rants. She appears to stay with Vince from District 10 quite a lot. I can safely say she will be one to watch out for, given she is from District 7 and is likely fuelled by anger at the Capitol._

Not much more to go on about Phionex, so far the rebels have revealed quite a bit about themselves, that I think I've got everything. Except for the next person.

_Rexx._

_Highly Intelligent. Observant. Strong contender._

_So far, Rexx is quite unreadable. He remains very quiet, and hasn't gone to many weapon stations, although I do spot him eyeing them from time to time. He spends most of his time watching other tributes, and remains very calm, collected, and polite. There is obviously more to him that reaches the eye. He was able to eliminate me, and when I said earlier that Aramid fuels the rebellious spirits of his whole alliance but one, that one was Rexx. He is playing to win._

Rexx. I hate him. Maybe it was when we first interacted in the elevator, or most likely when he somehow beat me in the Pillar Trial. Either way, he is my first target for when we enter the arena.

_Libra._

_Prissy. Oblivious. Obsessed._

_I personally don't see her getting very far at all. In fact I see her dying at the start of the games. She spends the majority of her time batting her eyes at Atlas and following him around. Besides her obvious attractive looks, she doesn't have much that can help her in the arena. Besides Atlas. _

Libra is the most helpless out of their alliance, I would be surprised if she wasn't one of the first to fall.

_Fletcher._

_Bloodthirsty. Psychotic. Relentless._

_Quite possibly my biggest competition. Fletcher makes Ladonna look like a mouse, he is built like an Ox and has the most powerful punches I've ever seen. He is complete brute force and handles weapons very well. His downfall, he is an idiot. He has not left the weapons section of the training room, similar to Minho._

I put down Fletcher as major threat, however I might leave him for the United to take down.

_Ancora._

_Loner. Bitchy. Stubborn._

_Ancora refuses to do anything during training. She stands with her arms crossed against the wall and stares ahead. I can't see her doing anything during the games, and honestly I think Libra could take her down. She is certainly a first day fatality._

I don't know what she is trying to achieve, but Ancora does not value her life at all. I would enjoy killing her.

_Vince._

_Nice Guy. Strong. Fighter._

_Vince has made sure that people only see him in a good light. He has shown he is fairly strong from whatever he does in District 10 and he is very good at handling knives and sickles, which I guess is only expected. He spends all his time with Phionex and could potentially be a threat, especially since he is with the United._

And with Vince, I finish up with the United Pack.

_Cassia._

_Stealthy. Elusive. Flexible._

_Cassia has put her position of height into a clear advantage. Easily clearing obstacles and avoiding hits from other tributes, she may be difficult to find in the arena and therefore should be eliminated early._

I do admire her, for her only being 12. She might stay around for a while if someone doesn't put an end to her early.

_Quinn._

_Survivalist. Self-absorbed. Sly._

_Quinn appears to only want to do things that will be in his best interests and help him in the long run. I heard he tried to strike up a bargain with some of the United as proof. He often stays in the shadows and tries to remain unnoticed, however nobody remains unnoticed by me. He has stayed at the survival stations the whole time and will do anything to ensure his survival._

I almost laugh at the next one.

_Naomi._

_Pathetic. Weak. Naive._

_Naomi struggles at anything she attempts, besides the poisonous plants. She is young, and in no way prepared for these games, she spends all her time 'flirting' with Whent, I don't understand why when Whent isn't anything special himself. I don't see her lasting much longer than Ancora. She just fades into the background when in the presence of larger competition such as Fletcher or Atlas. Potentially that could help her._

Finally I'm on to the last District.

_Whent._

_Liar. Passive. Timid._

_Whent wouldn't hurt a fly. He spends the majority of his time making up obvious lies to impress Naomi and Cassia, which Naomi seems to believe. He was the first to fall in the Pillar Trial, even before Ancora and that's saying something. I can't see Whent getting too far, however he may be able to starve for a bit, and endure the wilderness thanks to his home of District 12. You can't get very far if your nervous to kill someone though._

On to the last one. The Bitch.

_Dana._

_Bitch. Bitch. Bitch... Okay I'll be serious. Hostile. Decent fighter. And a total Bitch._

_Dana will die. I don't care how I do it, but she will die by my hands. That's what someone gets for thinking they can beat me in a fight. Rexx is different, he actually did. He will pay though, in the meantime Dana will die. She spends the most time at weapon stations, I heard her saying to Whent because she knew enough about survival. If she didn't have me on her tail she could potentially have gotten far. But I'll kill her, I'll make sure she dies painfully._

I put as much rage and venom as I can into those words, sighing in satisfaction once I'm finished. In general, I have quite some competition. Nothing that I can't handle thankfully, although I do question Fletcher. As confident as I am, I don't know how well I can go in a head to head battle against him. Maybe if he was already fatigued enough, I might be able to stand more of a chance.

Now is the time I should use to freshen up. So freshen up I do. The bathroom still amazes me as much as the rest of this whole place. I mean, I've seen plenty of staggeringly perfect buildings and interiors in District 1 alone, and I'm not someone who usually gives a shit about this type of stuff, but even I cannot deny its impeccable traits.

I strip off my still semi damp training clothing and take a step into the shower. I've had showers before, not exactly hot ones, but still showers. I utter a gasp at the first spurt of the most, well I cannot find another word that can describe it better than perfect, water. It's like the hot springs on the border of District 1 that came to be because of a particular volcano that may have played a part in destroying a bit of the old world.

I breathe in the scent of strawberries and cream. I can actually determine the scent of the water? Ugh, why must the Capitol provide such amazing things that make me like them! I end up changing the scent numerous times until I settle on the scent of lemon grass.

Once I'm finished playing with all the little contraptions the Capitol has made for the shower, I step out onto a bathroom mat. I instantly get dried down, similarly as to how I dried once I was eliminated from the Pillar Trial.

Speaking of the Pillar Trial, the highlights are meant to be on soon. I tie up my hair into a simple pony tail and slip into some comfortable black leggings. I finish off with a dark purple shirt.

"Theia," calls a voice from outside my room. It's Heath.

"What the fuck do you want," I scream back. I'm not that pissed off anymore, but I still want them to think I am for some reason. Maybe because it'll stop Haim from attempting to talk to me.

"The highlights are on in two minutes, if you want to watch with us feel free too," he informs me. My reply is to open the door and stare at him coldly.

"Wonderful! Let's go," he says beaming and turning towards the entrance to the living room. I shake my head and follow in pursuit.

My stomach drops when I spot Haim spread out on one of the sofas. He grins up at me.

"Hey gorgeous, join us," he says mockingly. It takes a lot to not dive on him and claw his eyes out. I take a deep breath and place myself in the furthest possible sofa away from Haim.

"Aww what's wrong? Is big Ol'Haim too much for you," he says pouting. Haim doesn't spot the knife until it's embedded into the head of the couch right next to his face. He stops in shock, stony faced. Heath almost leaps out of his chair while the stylists scream.

"Jesus Christ Theia! What the hell were you thinking?!" Heath says grabbing his hair.

"Next time you speak a word to me, I won't miss. Want to know why? Because I never miss on accident," I snarl at Haim.

"Understand dickhead?" I say sweetly. Haim begins to open his mouth but I shush him before he can say a word.

"Uh ah ahh, no speaking," I say holding a finger to my lips. He looks furious, but nods his head instead, proceeding to tug the knife out of the sofa. That was only a kitchen knife as well.

"So have we calmed down now?" Kite my Stylist asks.

"Yes we have, go ahead," I say bluntly, sinking back into the couch and crossing my arms. Heath turns the TV on and changes it to Channel 68, which apparently is an exclusive Training Tower channel. All it does is show an opening intro featuring the Capitol Seal and the words, '_The Pillar Trial Recap_'.

_3... 2...1..._ The first scene is the horn blaring. It flashes to numerous tributes that block their ears, including me, and then it changes to Whent crying out aloud and stumbling off the platform. It then shows a cinematic scene that reads the number _23rd._

The next scene is a shot of Minho staring down Ancora. We then witness Ancora being lifted up by Nero and thrown off.

_22nd._

The next one I haven't seen yet. Nero is on the floor and looks up at Minho who has his back turned, it then shows him leaping up and running into Naomi who goes flying off.

_21st._

Now we see Dayta dodging several of Nero's punches and then punching Nero himself. Nero punches back and Dayta falls off dazed.

_20th._

The next scene is Phionex closing in on Cassia. To my surprise, Cassia manages to avoid Phionex and trips her off.

_19th._

Now I smile. I watch as my on screen self throws Dana just where Minho had been seconds before hand. It then shows her punching me in the stomach and me bending over trying to regain my breath. She feebly gets up and looks like she is about to push me off, but then I smash my head into the bottom of her chin when I snap back up. Heath, Kite and Haim's Stylist all cheer as Dana stumbles off the pillar. Haim sits there fuming.

_18th._

The next one is of me as well. Hera throws a punch at me, however I grab her fist and put her arm behind her back. I stand trapped on the edge by Minho, with her in my custody. It shows his plea to let her go, and my acceptance in which I let her fall. The room here's again, accept for Haim.

_17th._

To my horror, the next scene to play is my struggle with Minho. We block each other's punches and try to overpower each other, before we stare at each other and stop for at least a whole twenty seconds.

"What is that?!" Haim shouts pointing at the screen.

"Nothing," I say bluntly, blushing furiously. I pull up my top to cover my face, not wanting anyone to see me like this. What is wrong with me today?

Luckily, the scene is interrupted by Ladonna picking up Minho by the back of the neck. This is when I ran away, but I didn't get to see what happened in the end. I know that Minho stayed because he was at the end with me.

Ladonna hangs Minho over the edge by the throat, before Laelia comes out of nowhere and fly kicks her. Ladonna almost tumbles off, but manages to grab Laelia's leg and fling her the opposite way which gave her enough momentum to swing her and Minho back. I watch as Laelia's hair whips Ladonna's head and makes a sickening thud, soon following is Laelia's demise.

_16th._

It flashes back to the same scene with Ladonna and Minho landing. It then shows him getting up and noticing Ladonna stumbling around obviously in a trance or just demented from the hit. He punches her numerous times and finally uppercuts her off.

_15th._

The next scene is Quinn cornering Libra. Vince knocks Quinn from behind and tells Libra to run away. While Vince is distracted for this moment, Quinn hops up and dive head butts Vince's chest. Vince kicks Quinn's legs out from underneath him and causes him to fall face first. Vince gets up and looks like he is about to kick Quinn off, however Quinn punches Vince in the nuts. Both Haim and Heath cringe at that scene.

Quinn then grabs Vince's arm and pulls him off the edge.

_14th._

Next scene shows Quinn weakly picking himself up and preparing to fight Minho who runs at him. However Rexx comes from behind him and RKO's him. My blood begins to boil when I see Rexx on the screen. Quinn's unconscious and Rexx easily kicks him off, similarly to how Vince was about to before.

_13th._

It flashes to Minho grabbing Danix by one arm, and Atlas grabbing him by the other. Danix struggles phenomenally as they drag him back, however it cannot stop Rexx kicking him in the chest, right off the side.

_12th._

Now it shows Libra running into Rhode who head butts her, and Atlas running after Rhode. Libra stumbles into Liesel, who kicks her in the stomach. She kicks again but Libra dodges, causing her to almost fall off balance. Liesel takes this opportunity to grab her by the throat and force her to kneel on the edge.

It zooms in on Libra's pleading eyes and then shows her getting pushed off by Liesel, shortly followed by Rexx slamming into Liesel. I'm surprised Libra even lasted that long.

_11th._

Next it shows Rhode throwing punches and knees at Atlas. Atlas ends up kneeing her in the stomach and upper cutting her, causing her to stumble back and almost fall off. Atlas ends up drop kicking her and she loses balance, falling through the gap in the floor and holding on.

He finishes her by grabbing her wrists and dangling her, only to drop her off.

_10th._

The next scene is very quick. It shows Cassia sneaking up behind Haim. Haim must see her out of the corner of his eye or something because he grabs her and holds her up by the neck. She furiously tries to kick him but ultimately fails. Haim proceeds to throw her off the edge. Heath, Kite and the other Stylist all cheer and applaud a smug looking Haim.

_9th._

I laugh loudly as Atlas punches an unsuspecting Haim in the jaw. He shoots me a venomous stare and I just flip him my middle finger. The on-screen Haim elbows Atlas in the nose, who staggers away. Everyone left arrives in the centre as Haim jumps to the side. Nero comes thundering through and slams into Atlas who is trying to stifle the blood pouring from his nose. Both Atlas and Nero go flying off the edge.

_8th._

_7th._

It now shows all of us eyeing each other off. Eventually Aramid runs at Haim, while both Rexx and I attack each other. It appears that we block the path between Liesel and Minho. Eventually, Haim almost loses his footing, causing Aramid to kick him off.

"Fucking prick," he yells at the screen.

_6th._

Haim is instantly cheered up at the next scene. It shows Liesel sneaking up behind Aramid, who is worn from the fight. Liesel pushes him off, eliminating him.

"Yes! Take that you District 6 bastard!" He yells triumphantly. I forgot he wouldn't even have known he went off right after him, he wasn't there to witness.

_5th._

I know what comes next. I witness myself get punched in the jaw, and stagger back a bit. Rexx grabs my wrist as I stand about to fall.

"I told you not to underestimate me," he says. I clench me fist and bite my tongue as he lets me fall off the edge.

"Fuck sake!" I yell and throw a couch pillow at the screen. It bounces right off it, apparently too soft to do damage.

_4th._

"Calm down Theia, watch the rest," says Heath. I long to bite back at him, however I know that I should find out who won.

I face the screen to see Rexx bending over where he let me drop. He must be tired. He is smart enough to know that's a stupid thing to do, but he must have been so worn out, he wasn't thinking straight.

My heart flutters when I see my new favourite person Minho happen to push off his own ally. He in a way... Avenged me?

_3rd._

It comes down to the final two, Minho and Liesel. I must admit, I'm rooting for Minho. Minho blocks two punches from Liesel, instead earning a knee to the stomach. He lets out air and then proceeds to head butt her. She staggers back, but manages to grab his leg when he goes to kick her. She pulls his leg and Minho falls flat on his back, however while she still grasps his ankle, he thrusts her over his head by kicking that way.

She starts to get back up, however Minho has already slammed his hand down onto her chest. This causes her to smash back down onto the ground. Liesel lies on the edge now, and Minho prepares to kick her off. So Minho ended up winning, that's okay I suppose.

I was wrong.

Liesel kicks Minho in the nuts. He appears shocked and instantly grabs them. Liesel uses this circumstance and grabs his wrist. She swings Minho off the edge and holds him in the air. After several taunts, she lets go.

_2nd._

"Fuck!" I shout and slam my fist on the armchair.

"Why are you so upset?" Haim asks suspiciously.

"Because I wanted him to beat her fucktard," I say as if it was obvious.

"Why's that?" He continues asking.

"He pushed off Rexx, so that's why," I say picking myself, and storming off.

"Don't forget training again tomorrow!" Heath calls after me.

"Fuck off Heath!" I call back, imitating his cheery voice.

...

I toss onto my right side for what could be maybe the twentieth? Twenty fifth time? I flip my pillow onto the cool side yet again, I don't know why, it hasn't helped me get to sleep yet. Why can't I sleep? I usually have no problem with sleeping because there never is a problem.

Maybe I shouldn't have had a cup of that brown stuff before I went to bed. What was it... Coffee? Whatever it was, I feel like that has kept me awake. I roll over yet again onto my left side now, my eyes open to rest on the alarm clock.

2:38 am.

Wow, I should have gone to sleep ages ago. What's the point of staying here if I can't sleep? I peel the covers off and place my feet on the soft, shaggy carpet. I blindly walk over to the door, almost walking into a small table that holds a lamp on it.

My hands find the door handle and I quietly open the door. What's the harm in exploring the building a bit? I navigate my way through the darkness until I reach the elevator. When the elevator arrives, the light from inside floods the whole District 1 floor with white, as if I opened the fridge.

Once I have stepped inside, the doors slide shut. I examine the array of buttons on the side. There are numbers 1 through 12 as usual, there is also a button labelled T for training, one labelled C for chariots, and another labelled L for lobby. I notice another one at the top, above 12. It's labelled R. What could possibly be above the twelfth floor? Maybe the R means roof? I guess I'm going to find out.

I punch my finger into the R button, a second later feeling the elevator begin to slowly rise up. The thought crosses my mind that I might not be allowed to go up there, but I don't give a fuck. Why wouldn't I want to break their rules?

The doors slide open to a serene setting. It's no doubt the roof, I'm outside with a cool breeze that is definitely a lot more soothing than the stuffy heat inside the building. I slowly walk over to the edge of the roof and lean over the railing. It's a very high drop, the people down below look very small, basically like ants.

The lights are astonishing, I can see them go out as far as I can see. I sigh, I'll have to leave this in a couple of days for a gruelling set of days. God knows how long I'll have to spend in the arena, is there even a time limit?

"You're not planning on jumping are you?" Says a voice from behind me. I instantly jump and turn around to face the person.

"You know, when I came up here about fifteen minutes ago, I thought I was going to be alone. Guess that's not the case," says Minho as he stares at me intently. I just stare back, being too dumbfounded to say anything. He was the last person I was expecting to see tonight.

"Seriously, you're not thinking about jumping are you," he asks starting to sound concerned.

"Just why would I do that?" I shoot back. He shrugs in response,

"Many reasons, the obvious one being it would be a lot quicker and painless than a potential death in the arena," he says leaning against the railing next to me.

I instantly straighten myself and step away from the railing.

"No! I'm anticipating this game, I can't wait," I almost hiss.

"Funny. So am I," he says smirking. We remain silent for a moment, the both of us appearing at a loss as to what to say. This is so unlike me.

"How are your...?" I say, motioning towards his, penile region.

"Oh yeah right ha ha, not too bad," he says laughing.

"I'm sorry about how Rexx got to you," he says.

"You got him anyway, he didn't win which is what I wanted," I say looking out at the city again. The silence returns as we both stand there. I break it.

"Look... I don't know what happened during the Pillar Trial when we were fighting, we just... Stopped," I mutter. This boy, this boy from District 5 has unleashed a side of me I never thought I would see. I'm being nice to someone? How?

"I noticed that," Minho says. I force myself to say my next sentence.

"What for? Why?" I say throwing my arms to my side. He doesn't respond right away, but eventually sighs and talks.

"I guess I just realised, how beautiful you are," he almost has to spit out. I guess he isn't used to this either. Wait. Did he just call me beautiful? I look up at the boy from 5.

"You think I'm beautiful?" I stammer, barely over a whisper.

"Well, yeah that's what I just said," he says laughing nervously.

"Nobody has ever said that before," I manage to get out. What is happening? Where is bloodthirsty and vicious Theia?

"Why did I stop fighting?" I wonder aloud. There is a pause before he responds.

"Perhaps, you feel the same way?" He suggests softly. My eyes widen and I turn to him.

"I should go," I stammer. I quickly turn and walk towards the elevator.

"Wait! Why?" Minho calls. This is all too much, this is so unlike me, this isn't me at all. Where is the Theia Cartelle I've known all my life? Why couldn't she come out against this one person. I can't accept this. I can't.

I furiously tap the District 1 button until the doors close. Minho hadn't pursued, he stood in the same position and watched me as I left him on the roof. My heart is going a million miles an hour, the fluttery feeling in my chest has returned. Make it stop. MAKE IT STOP.

**Authors Note: **

**Soooo... I wanted to start trying to make longer chapters. However, in order to start making longer chapters, I have to accept that it will take longer to write. So this took a bit longer then I would have liked it to. It's here now! So no need to fear!**

**Continuing on, what are your thoughts on our bloodthirsty and ruthless tribute Theia? But is she completely bloodthirsty? What is the ending opening up? Who knows... I do hehe.**

**Please tell me what you thought of the chapter, remember the more you review the more likely your tribute is to survive! I do feel a bit uninspired to write characters sometimes if their creator isn't making it known they are reading the story. I get that some people do read it, but are too lazy to review. It just helps a little, trust me :)**

**Next chapter will be the actual training session, so returning into some familiar territory. Also I would like to announce that I am planning on a sequel to the story, possibly even more. It will most likely start up close to when this story is ending, don't worry I'll inform you :D **

**And one last thing. I'm not sure if it's because of the website or because I derped up, but the links on my profile that is meant to send you to a picture of the character aren't working. If anyone could clear that up for me, that would be great because then we can see how our favourite characters like Augrillian, Tiffany, Jonah, the tributes, and more look!**

**-Ares**


	18. Ladonna: Misunderstood

**Ladonna Gully, 18, D2:**

Any movement sends pain shooting throughout my skull. I groan as I try to push myself up slowly, trying not to hurt myself. My head... It's so sore. What happened to me? I slowly open my eyes to see my room, very dim in light. The soft covers are wrapped around me and my heavy body has already made a mould into the mattress.

I slowly lift my arm and rub my head. Did it happen during the Pillar Trial? The last thing I remember is a staggering hit to my head when I threw that girl from District 5 off. I can't remember what happened after that, but I don't think I lasted much longer.

My alarm reads that I should be going to training soon. After my downfall in the Pillar Trial, I realise that I may have an even slimmer chance of survival, and it isn't helping with the fact that I have been doing next to nothing to improve my survival or fighting skills. I also don't like how a bunch of the others have apparently, teamed up. I really should try to interact with people more, because being hostile won't nessacarily help out in the long run.

At the end of my bed lies basically the exact same training clothes as yesterday. As much as I hate the Capitol at the moment for taking me away from my friends at home, I am still thankful for the fact that they have clothing that actually fits me. I mean, I'm not fat or anything, but my body is huge and muscular, so it can be hard to find female clothing that fits. In fact, I never could in District 2. I always wore men's clothes. I guess it's one of the perks of being in the Capitol.

My body fits perfectly into it, exactly like yesterday. I wonder if it's the exact same clothing from yesterday. I have to move slowly or my head starts to spin, I must have hit it really hard. Finally I have applied all the various attributes to my suit. Great, another day of training for this Death Game I've been condemned to.

I trudge slowly to the door and quietly slide it open. From the voices I hear, I take it that our escort Glade, and a few others are eating breakfast. I enter the room to Glade's beaming smile, my stylist Hurl, and a dopey Nero. Nero's stylist is nowhere to be seen.

"There's our little champion!" Glade says as she furiously claps her hands. I groan back and slump into a chair next to Glade.

"What's the matter?" Glade asks. I gather all the energy I can muster to speak.

"My head," I grunt through gritted teeth.

"Oh yes, we've got a solution for that!" Glade says excitedly as she places a tablet on the plate in front of me. I slowly lift me head and shoot her a glare.

"Fuck off. You expect me to consume anything that's meant to help me after that?" I ask as I point at Nero, who is in a similar state to me. Glade appears hurt while Hurl just chuckles.

"Don't worry Ladonna, it's tested. I have one every time I have a hangover. It's just to rid you of the pain," Hurl informs me.

"What's a hangover?" I ask confused. Glade and Hurl glance at each other and then at me.

"You don't know what a hangover is?" Glade asks.

"What do you expect? I'm not from the Capitol, we don't have the same luxuries as you do," I say.

"Well, it's not a luxury. It's when you have a bit too much to drink, and then the next day you have a pounding headache," says Hurl.

"Too much to drink?" I say confused. I'll be lucky to have clean water in District 2.

"Too much alcohol to drink," adds Glade. That would explain why I have no idea about it, I have never had access to alcohol in my entire life.

"Oh okay, I've never had alcohol before," I say stupidly. Both Glade and Hurl laugh.

"We wouldn't expect you to have," Hurl chuckles.

"Come on, eat up," Glade says motioning towards the pill.

"I swear if this has any side effect I won't hesitate to maul you," I say bitterly as I raise the pill to my mouth. Almost as soon as I have swallowed it, I can almost feel the pain seeping out of my ears.

"Ohhh," I utter as I rub my head. Soon enough, the pain has fully faded away and I am left feeling airy.

"That was a... Interesting experience," I say out loud. Glade nods knowingly and glances at her watch.

"You guys are due at training in about five minutes," she says shooting a look at Nero. Nero moans and wipes his eyes. I'm guessing he is on his sedatives. Nero can remain passive for a certain amount of time after he has taken his sedatives. He can actually act like his normal self. Eventually he gets ramped up again and uncontrollable. Glade is doing everything in her power to get him back to normal, but she is struggling to find anything at all that can help.

"You really shouldn't have gotten him treatment for that cancer," I say softly.

"Ladonna, we didn't tell you this before, but he was a week away from death before he was treated," says Glade, Hurl nods solemnly. My heart sinks at this comment. Nero almost died from his cancer? Now he has become this. I feel like hiding from the world at the moment. Nero is the only thing left that I have from District 2, he is a little bit from home. If Nero dies, then I'll have nothing.

"Oh my," is all I can manage to get out.

"There is no need to worry, he's alright now!" Hurl says cheerily as he pats Nero's shoulder. Nero remains unresponsive and does little as flinch at the sudden contact.

"He looks fine," I say sarcastically, snorting in bewilderment.

"Now you two really should be going Ladonna," says Glade as she taps her watch.

"How exactly are you planning on getting him down there?" I say, eyebrow raised. The two of them look at each other again and back at me, I already have a feeling that I know what they are going to say.

"Ah, um well... We kind of assumed, that maybe... You could carry him?" Glade says in a really high pitched tone. I knew it.

"Who did you think I am? Some slave woman that can lumber around carrying all your needs because I'm strong?" I say starting to get angry.

"No no no, Ladonna we didn't mean it like that, we just... Please," Glade pleads. I don't want to do her dirty work, however I decide on it.

"Fine, this once. Only because I don't want to be late and get both Nero and I in trouble," I say through gritted teeth.

"That's the spirit!" Hurl says encouragingly. He backs down when he sees my deathly glare aimed at him. I sigh and get off the chair, which is a lot easier now with the lack of a pounding head ache. I step up to Nero and stare at him for a second. Poor thing, it looks like he is in a trance at the moment, it'll be a matter of time before he loses control again. I pick him up and chuck him over my shoulder, soon enough turning towards the elevator.

"Good luck!" Glade calls after me. I don't respond, instead I press the elevator button. It takes maybe twenty seconds before I hear the ding of the elevator arriving. The doors slide open and I am greeted by the presence of the 11 girl, the 12 boy, and the 10 girl. 11 and 12 are talking loudly about whatever, while 10 just laughs along. I step in and the elevator door closes, soon trapping me with the three of them and Nero. I stare at them longingly, how I wish to have something like that. Just a good friendship.

I notice 10 turn and catch me, her eyes go wide and she quickly turns back to the conversation. Great, more people that are too intimidated to speak to me. More people to make me feel misunderstood for my rough outer shell. However what happens next takes me by surprise. Both 12 and 11 finally notice that I am in the elevator with them, however instead of cower in fear like most, they give me a friendly smile and then go back to their conversation. Did that just happen? Oh my, they aren't terrified of me? Happiness floods my entire chest and I smile to myself. Maybe I assumed that I wouldn't be liked, and that has slowed me down.

I decide to try and test them by having a normal conversation with them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was unconscious all of last night, would you mind telling me who won?" I ask softly, not wanting to take them by surprise.

"Oh I think it was the girl from District 3," says the girl from 11.

"Say, what is your name?" She asks smiling.

"I'm Ladonna from District 2," I reply.

"Hi Ladonna, I'm Naomi, this is Whent, and Cassie," she says pointing at the other two. Whent excitedly greets me while Cassie timidly waves her hand and looks at the floor. Unfortunately, the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open, signifying us to leave.

"Well it was nice meeting you Ladonna!" Naomi exclaims.

"See ya later," says Whent, as they all exit the elevator. This leaves me alone with Nero, and feeling sad again. It was good while it lasted. I thunder over to the centre of the room where all the other tributes as well as Theseus, are located. Once I arrive people turn to look at me as I drop Nero on the floor, only to have him scooped up by a set of Peacekeepers. I give them a glare until they all turn back to the front. Theseus stands on the same stage as last time, appearing as if he is waiting for everyone's attention which I'm quite certain he is.

"It looks like we are all here now. Anyways, congratulations on the Pillar Trial! It was a massive success and led to interesting results. Could I please have Whent, Ancora, Naomi, Dayta, and Phionex come up to the stage," Theseus says. We all watch as the five of them, all looking quite confused, walk slowly up to the front.

"Unfortunately, these five tributes placed in the bottom five during the Pillar Trial. Therefore, they are unable to participate in the upcoming trial," says Theseus. Phionex instantly starts complaining and protesting, while Dayta just looks down disappointed. Whent and Naomi glance sadly at each other and Ancora just crosses her arms, huffs, and stares out at the back of the training room.

"You may go back now," Theseus says motioning them towards the stairs. They all file down and place themselves back into the crowd of tributes.

"Now, may I have Liesel and Minho come to the front," he says. I glare at Minho as he gets up to the stage. Why is he going up? Maybe he isn't allowed to compete either. I hope he isn't.

"Congratulations Liesel and Minho, you two placed second and first, and have received an advantage going into the second trial, which you will discover at a later date," Theseus informs us.

Fuck! I was hoping he got eliminated, he came second? That should be me, I almost eliminated him twice!

"Shake hands," Theseus instructs. Liesel and Minho hesitantly turn to each other, giving each other death stares and gritting their jaws. It looks like they are trying to break each other's hands. Apparently they aren't on good terms. Theseus tells them to go back down and then continues on with his speech.

"So now, without further ado, we will now commence with Training Day Two," states Theseus. Like usual, there are the few that rush straight over to the weapons. I watch as Minho steps up the mace station and grabs a golden spiked one. I notice that Theia starts walking over to the station, however upon realising that Minho is there, her eyes widen and she turns in the opposite direction. I think I know why, I remember I technically interrupted their fight in the Pillar Trial.

I begin walking, but realise I have no clue where I'm going. I don't know what to do or what station to go to since I didn't exactly do much yesterday. Should I try weapons, or survival? Living in a tattered home located in District 2 for the past several years of my life hasn't exactly allowed me to have much experience in the wilderness, thanks to its mainly industrial build up. Even though I'm not the brightest tool in the shed, which I'm not afraid to admit, I should probably try to learn some useful skills that can get me home Benny and Ditte.

A wave of sadness sweeps over me. I wonder how Benny and Ditte are going. They would hate it, well at least Benny would, Ditte doesn't know any better being only three years old and all. As soon as the Peacekeepers put me in that room in the Justice Building, Benny had come running in bawling his eyes out with Ditte wrapped in his arms. I made him promise to enrol in the orphanage, because without me there there would be no way the two could survive alone. I told him I would get home to him and Ditte. I will.

I scan the stations, trying to decide which one is the most appropriate to start at. Of course there is the Poisonous Flora station, that's always a popular one. Right now Quinn from District 11 and the pair from Three are there. I notice that the little boy, Dayta is often at this one. It looks as if he is trying to help teach Liesel. Then there is Knot-Tying, which looks rather boring. Nobody except the trainer is at this particular station. My eyes flutter past the Fire Station, causing me to chuckle when I spot both of the Four's there. Of course, their natural tropical climate doesn't force them to make fires since it would never be cold there. Either way, they are a water based District, so I doubt many people from there are familiar with making fire.

I decide against that one because I have made plenty of fires in the makeshift fireplace in my shamble of a home, always on a cold winter's night. Luckily it's summer at the moment. The Climbing Station is also a popular option, I spot Cassie swooping up it with ease while giggling at the lacklustre effort of Whent. Naomi isn't doing too badly either. There isn't much of a use for me though, my heavy body would make it incredibly difficult, and to be quite honest I doubt I'll need to be climbing that often in the arena. The Running Track is what I spot next, however like climbing, running isn't my forte. I'm more long distance, than fast. I notice the Trap Station next. That could be a potential candidate. The only person there is the girl from District 12. However right next to it is where my decision lands on. Sure I could go to the trapping station later on, but I can always kill an animal with a weapon. And to be quite honest, I'm not quite sure what I would do to the animal once I kill it. So I head to the Animal Preparation Station. Basically, it's going to tech me how to properly ready the animal for cooking.

I get there and step up next to Phionex and the boy from District 10. My eyes widen at the sight in front of me. The trainer holds a rabbit to the table, with a machete to its neck. He looks up at me and smiles.

"Oh great! We have another guest!" He says smiling. Phionex and the District 10 boy look up at me with wide eyes but I barely notice.

"You're not going to kill it are you?" I ask, sounding concerned.

"Well of course I am, then I will show you guys how to prepare it," he says. And with that, he lifts the machete high in the air and brings it down hard on its neck, going right through. I shield myself from the splatter of blood, while Phionex lets out a small scream and hides herself in the District 10 boy's chest.

"Holy shit!" District 10 mutters.

"You know, if you guys are that faint hearted, you can go to the Gore Station right over there," he says pointing at a station near the weapons section of the room.

"It's great to desensitise you for the arena."

"Are you crazy?!" District 10 shouts.

"Vince, let it go," Phionex says assuring him.

"We've seen plenty of that stuff in the war, it's just that you murdered a helpless rabbit!" She says to the trainer. She is right. Nothing compared to the horror that District 6 and the Capitol put District 2 through. People getting mowed down by gunfire right in front of me, public executions, it took a lot to shield Benny from it.

"Well, you can't think like that in the arena, this may be the only resort between life and death," he chuckles.

"Can you just please, get on with it, so we can finish up," says Vince hurriedly.

"Suit yourself," the trainer says sighing. He shows us how to skin the rabbit, how to gut it, what parts to eat, and then how to cook it.

"There are many different animals you are able to do this with, and there will likely be an opportunity or even a need to do this in the arena. So if you can cope with that, you should be all good for food. That is if you can capture it," he says smiling. The session finishes up and Phionex and Vince go off somewhere else. Okay, my first step towards getting home is completed. Now I have to decide what else I should go to. I decide to stay away from that Gore Station that the trainer mentioned, I saw enough of that during the war, and I'm sure I'll be forced to see it again in the arena. If I can, I'll stall that for as long as possible.

I think I might go to one more survival station, I want to be blue to defend myself after all. Or go on the offensive side. I spot a station that would be quite pinnacle to ensure survival. The Shelter Station. I head up to it and notice it only has one occupant besides the trainer. I recognise him as Rexx due to how unique his name is. It's similar to the name of the T-Rex, a dinosaur. A Mother. Fucking. Dinosaur. Even I have to admit, that's pretty cool. From what it looks like, he is pretty good at it. I'm sure I can beat him though, after all, I am from the Masonry District, I repaired my shamble of a home from rubble. It wasn't even my original house! I just found it.

I look at the supplies available for me. There are all sorts of things found in nature, like bamboo, Palm leafs, and tree sap just to name a few. I only recognise bamboo because it is used commonly in construction in District 2. From what I heard, it was originally from a very faraway place that got destroyed by storms, floods and famine as well. I get to work right away, placing the outline out for a tent like structure, using the tree sap to stick the bamboo together and then also the palm leafs as cover. Soon enough, after about half an hour to be exact, my shelter is completed while Rexx still hammers away at his. He looks over at mine and huffs, furiously fiddling with his to get it to stand straight, obviously quite frustrated.

The trainer applauds my efforts and I smirk knowingly, noticing how Rexx glowers at me annoyed. I think he is jealous, but more annoyed at the fact that he got beaten by me. He would be one to talk, he is from District 8! I'm sure he enjoyed making clothing for the District 6 monsters that killed many of good District 2 people. I rub my hands together, time for the more enjoyable part of training. I don't know what is about weapons, but they fascinate me. The way they can so swiftly slice through human flesh, cut off someone's life before they have time to think about dying, in a sense, it's like playing God. The question is, what weapon station should I go to? There are so many options like spears, swords, axes, knives, bow and arrows, very basic weapons. There are also ones such as, hammers, sickles, scythes, pikes, long metal rods, bats, and so many more unique and different weaponry. I decide that I'm very well covered in short range, so I might try long range weaponry.

I find myself walking to the bow and arrow section, which holds the District 1 boy, Whent, Naomi and Cassie. I've never actually used a bow and arrow before, so I'm not expecting to do any good with it. I grab one with a sleek brass handle, with spikes on the outer edge of the bow itself and the outside of the handle. I wouldn't mind picking this up in the arena, it would work well for both a long range and short range weapon. I grab one of the many quivers that have been set up with a total of twenty four arrows.

"Back off!" I hear a shout from behind me. I turn around to see the District 1 boy towering over Whent, with Naomi and Cassie screaming at him.

"Just why should I do that," the District 1 boy barks back.

"We didn't do anything to you, just leave us alone!" Whent says shaking.

"I don't think so you little shit," District 1 says through gritted teeth. I clench my fists in anger, who the fuck does this guy think he is?

"Go away Haim," Whent yells, gaining courage.

"You asked for this," Haim snarls. He instantly drops his bow and takes Whent into a headlock. Whent struggles while both Naomi and Cassie start protesting and begging that he stops. Haim starts punching Whent profusely in the stomach. This has to stop. I place my bow on the rack and step up to the two. I instantly grab Haim's arm and rip Whent away to place him next to Naomi. Before Haim realises what is happening, I do the exact same thing he did to Whent. I put him into an unbreakable headlock and start pounding my punches into his stomach. He groans as I make connection to his stomach with my fist. After ten seconds, I stop and grab him by the throat, making sure he is looking directly into my eyes.

"Leave them alone," I growl deeply. He doesn't reply, but stares at me with fury in his eyes.

"Got it you little prick," I snarl.

"Fine," he spits back. With that I punch him in the face and throw him away. He picks himself up, stares daggers at me and walks away to the spear station. That's what he gets for being a total savage and hurting younger kids before the game has even begun. I turn towards Whent and look at him softly.

"You okay?" I ask tenderly.

"Mmmm, I should be okay, feels like I've just been hit by a ton of bricks," he grunts as he rubs his stomach.

"Thanks for helping us out, you kicked his ass," exclaims Naomi, eyes shining brightly.

"Was no problem, just looking out for you," I reply smiling.

"Ladonna, would you like to become part of our alliance?" Naomi asks. I'm shocked, I wasn't expecting this.

"Yes of course! I would love to!" I say.

"Sweet! We're like the Fantastic Four!" Whent says sticking his hand up to Hi-Five Cassie. Come to think of it, I haven't even heard Cassie speak at all. I guess I will in time, she does seem pretty shy and all.

"So are you guys any good at archery?" I ask.

"I don't know, never done it. We came over here to try but then Haim started harassing us," replies Naomi.

"Well let's try now," I say smiling. I step up to the stand and grab the same bow as before. Whent tries to pick up one of the same bows as me but struggles to lift it properly.

"Jeez your strong, I can barely lift that up," complains Whent.

"Just use a lighter one," I say, handing him a lighter bow. I step up to the target practice and pull out a nice sleek arrow. I aim at the target and let the arrow fly, it ends up hitting the right forearm of the target. Naomi steps up next to me and pulls out an arrow. She slowly pulls back and let's it go. I feel my jaw drop when it hits about three inches away from the bullseye.

"Are you sure you have never used a bow and arrow before?" I ask, still taking in what happened. It appears Naomi dropped her bow in surprise at how well she did.

"I promise you, I have ever held one in my life," she says, in shock. Naomi picks up her bow and tries again, this time hitting one inch off the heart.

"How are you doing that?" Whent exclaims, sprinting over to us.

"I don't know, we don't have weapons in District 11," she says confused.

"Maybe you're just naturally good at this," Cassie suggests quietly. This is kind of new to me as I am yet to have heard her speak up until now, but Naomi simply shrugs and says, "Maybe." We spend about an hour at the Archery Station. I improve a little by actually being able to hit the stomach a bunch, twice in the chest, and even the neck. The trainer tells me if I had hit there on a real person, then that person would have been dead in a second. So technically I just killed a target. Whent struggles at Archery, hitting the target three times out of the hundreds of shots we had. Cassie is very much the same, not that good with a bow, but a little better than Whent. However, Naomi goes to town on the target. In total I'm confident 89 out of the 100 shots she took would have been fatal, others wounding severely or permanently.

Together, I think we work really well. We have our stealth as Cassie, our range as Naomi, and our brute force as none other than me. We still need to find Whent's talent though.

"I'm sure we will find something you're good at Whent," says Naomi who is still in high spirits because of her success at archery. Whent on the other hand is really bitter about how many he missed.

"Doubt it, I'm good at nothing apparently," he grumbles. We are interrupted by the lunch bell ringing throughout the training room.

"Finally! I'm famished," Naomi says. Quite ironic since all of us, maybe besides Cassie, are incredibly famished every day, week, even year. We arrive at the lunch hall and sit down at a table near the front. I'm not going to lie, it's feels a lot better to be with other people rather than alone. People like Ancora, Quinn, and that beast Fletcher sit by themselves. I notice that the boy from District 4 sits with Laelia, the girl that caused me to lose in the Pillar Trial. The girl from District 4 however, is joined by Dana from District 12, Whent's District partner. Of course the pair from District 3, Dayta and Liesel, are always together. And of course, who could miss the United, or whatever they call themselves. Minho, Aramid, Hera, Atlas, Phionex, Rexx, Libra and Vince all sit together, looking as if they are in the midst of a deep conversation.

"I'm sure glad we are a team," says Whent as he too, looks around at the rest of the room.

"True that, wouldn't want to be alone at this point," replies Naomi.

"Luckily we picked you up Ladonna," she says smiling. I smile back.

"Sure thing," I reply.

"They really like fattening us up," says Whent as he stares at the mouth-watering pile of food.

"I'm sure they probably want to torture us more when we are in the arena, pig out on rich food for a week, and then starve in the arena, that how it will go," says Cassie. Wow Cassie is smart.

"Ha! They can try, but I've lived off the planet my whole life, up until this week I haven't even ever had meat before!" Naomi exclaims. Cassie's jaw drops.

"A life without meat? I don't think I could ever be able to do that," she says sadly. That should only be expected, Cassie is from District 10 after all, livestock. I'm sure most of her diet is made up of meat.

"Are you allowed to eat the animals in your District Cassie?" Naomi asks.

"Only the injured ones that the officials deem unworthy of plumping up, what they don't know is we have a particular habit of 'accidentally' injuring the cattle," she says mischievously.

"Lucky. We aren't allowed to eat the crops in District 11, if we get caught they kill us," Naomi complains.

"At least you two have Districts that are food based, I can't exactly eat coal," says Whent.

"Yeah and I can't eat stone," I chuckle.

"I guess you're right," laughs Naomi. The rest of us laugh until we all quiet down.

"I miss home," sighs Whent. I close my eyes for a second and reopen them. The thought of home right now is unbearable. Thinking about Benny and Ditte was even harder. However, I don't think Whent and Naomi realise that. We end up eating a tonne more food until the end of lunch is called. I am beyond full, in fact, I don't know if I can be bothered training any more than I already have. However, apparently we don't need to leave yet.

Theseus stands up the front of the room, like he did before he led us to the Dock yesterday. I notice that the door leading to the Dock is actually closed. Theseus coughs to gain our attention even though I'm pretty confident that all the tributes are looking at him anyway.

"Good afternoon tributes! That has concluded our second day of training!" Theseus announces loudly. All the tributes start murmuring to each other confused.

"Didn't we have another two hours?" Whent whispers.

"I thought we did," Naomi replies in a hushed whisper.

"Now you may be a bit confused, as we are concluding a bit earlier than yesterday. We are giving you that time to decide what you may want to perform to the Gamemakers tomorrow afternoon. As we have already said, on the third day of training, that afternoon will be dedicated for all of you to show what skills you have learnt over the course of the previous three days. You will be given a score out of 12 that will be uncovered to Panem and yourself tomorrow night," states Theseus.

"Now why are we giving you so much time to prepare and decide on your best course of action? Because Vice President and Head Gamemaker Jonah Welsh will be among the people observing and scoring you. And remember, Mr Welsh takes a lot to impress," he says. This causes a lot of talk among the tributes.

"Secondly!" Theseus shouts, regaining everyone's attention.

"We require the space to prepare tomorrow's second trial." Theseus pauses to increase the tension.

"The second trial is known as the Hunt Trial. You will be placed into a large rectangular prism like structure, within the confines lies a maze. You are to be the last one standing to receive a huge advantage in the arena, which you will be able to select off of a list of things. Our hunter, will be Mr Fletcher Wilds," Theseus informs us. Every tribute glances at Fletcher who smirks pure evil.

"This trial will test your Stealth, Speed, Hiding Abilities and again Strategy," says Theseus.

"Remember, you are not fighting each other, you are evading Mr Wilds, so in this trial, absolutely no maiming each other," he reminds us.

"Good luck tributes, and have a nice day," he says as he turns and leaves. The room stays in a shocked and almost fearful silence.

"Well, I'm kind of glad I'm not competing now," says Whent. Whent and Naomi may be safe, however Cassie and I are still to face this.

**Author's Note:**

**So now I introduce to you, the Hunt Trial! This is the second and last trial the tributes will be taking part in. So why do you think of the sound of it?**

**Now we have met Ladonna, the big semi-friendly giant! What did you think of her? Also not only that, but we only have 12 more chapters until the tributes enter the arena! How exciting is that! I know, it's still a bit far away, however we have seen more than half of the tributes, we only have 11 more to go, plus a bonus chapter from someone we all know and love (wonder who that could be).**

**So far I'm really proud of how this story is going, and I'm incredibly thankful for the people that have stuck around and have remained faithful reviewers all throughout. I don't know how many people are still around since the beginning, but I'm thankful for the ones that are.**

**I'm hoping to get at least two more chapters out before holidays finish, potentially more but that isn't carved in stone so don't count on that, but I'm confident I can at least two.**

**-Ares**


	19. Danix: Mistakes Were Made

**Danix Bait, 17, D4:**

I leave Laelia in the elevator as the doors open to level 4. My mind is still riddled with thoughts of the ever looming Private Sessions, this Hunt Trial that Theseus mentioned, and of course who could ever forget the Hunger Games? Not exactly like you're meant to just forget your potential doom that is due in less than a weeks' time. I've only got two more days left in the Capitol, then it is time to enter the arena.

I tend to catch myself wondering why I even bothered to volunteer for this stupid game. I mean, was it all a mistake? It's the answer that always throws those thoughts from my mind. I must to get away, from him. That horrid and savage man who I refuse to call my father.

I realise I'm doing it again, that face that I make when I'm thinking those depressing thoughts, due to the look that Rhode is giving me. She hates it when I do that, she thinks I'm just a complete wuss.

"Let me guess. You're thinking about how tragic your life story is again?" Rhode asks rolling her eyes. I feel my face flush in embarrassment.

"I'm trying to keep it to myself as much as possible, you're the one that goes out of your way to pick up on it," I mutter.

"I'm technically helping you," she says as she plops herself onto the plush sofa and starts snacking on some potato chips, a recent discovery for the two of us.

"Helping me how? Don't you want me to die?" I ask a tad confused.

"Well, of course so I can survive," she says casually, as if it was just normal to tell someone you wish them to die.

"Then how and why would you be helping me?" I say, feeling the beginning of a wave of annoyance.

"I'm pointing out whenever you show your emotions, and vulnerability. If I do that, you'll do it less, and learn to show nothing that can be used against you. If it wasn't for your size, body image, and attractiveness, most of the other tributes will see you as a meal on a platter," she says, as she digs into the packet.

I'm kind of at a loss for words, as I wasn't expecting that answer. I was thinking she would reply with something snarky like usual.

"Oh okay then. Now why would you be helping?" I ask suspiciously.

"If I was to die, I would probably want you to win in my place," she says.

"What about that little District 12 girl, Dana was it?" I ask, thinking I've got her there. She chuckles in response.

"Dana is only a temporary ally, I won't keep her for long. If she wins, it gives me nothing. If you won, then it would be someone from home winning, plus all the rewards for the rest of District 4," she says as she munches into another potato chip. I have to give it to her, she is pretty smart.

"Don't forget, if I run into you later on in the games if you are out of some miracle still alive, I would have to kill you," she says flatly. I gulp at her chilling words. I have no doubt that Rhode would do exactly that.

"Likewise I guess," I say quietly.

"What, you really think you could kill me?" She says in bewilderment.

"Yes, why not?" I ask with a bit of fire. All she does is shake her head.

"Never mind," she sighs, reaching into the potato chip bag. Her expression becomes disappointed and she tips the bag upside down, only to have nothing come out.

"Avox!" Rhode barks to a startled and timid looking woman that appears to be in her later thirties.

"Get me one of these, now!" She shouts, the Avox whisking away shortly afterwards.

"And make sure it's original, none of that sour cream and onion shit!" She calls after her.

"You don't have to be so rude to them," I say shaking my head. Rhode whips her head my direction and glares at me.

"Don't you dare tell me how to live my life. They are servants, I can treat them however I want," she replies, venomously. I struggle to work Rhode out. One minute she is quite passive, the next she is the Satan. I just struggle to understand how her mood swings are so fluent. I know she isn't bipolar, it must have something to do with the way she lived back in District 4.

Soon enough, the Avox comes back with a packet of original potato chips, on a platter.

"That's more like it!" Rhode says as she digs into it. I decide to push away my anger at Rhode as I will have to be around her for a while. Our escort said he would meet us up here in a few minutes. It has now been twenty and he is still nowhere to be seen. I sit down on the chair across from Rhode and watch her eat. It takes her about thirty seconds to notice I'm watching her.

"Are you just going to watch me eat? Not going to lie, it's kind of creepy," she says, turning on the TV.

"Sorry, just bored," I reply as I stretch my arms.

"Just get the Avox's to get you something to eat," she says shrugging. I shake my head.

"I don't want to, I'll feel bad about it," I say sighing. Rhode stops eating and looks at me.

"If you feel bad about that, how the hell do you expect to kill someone in the arena?" Rhode asks. I take a moment to think, before Rhode just laughs and goes back to eating.

"Wow, you're more timid than I thought! Maybe I would want Dana to win, she could at least kill a person, and is probably much more deserving to win than the sorry excuse you are," she says. Anger flares up inside of me. She doesn't know me, or what I've been through, what I have had to endure over my seventeen years of life. However instead of lashing out at her, I'm determined to prove her wrong.

"Get me a cold beer and a packet of what she has," I say demandingly to the same Avox. She scurries away and returns quickly with my order. Rhode goes silent.

"Aren't you underage?" She asks. I smirk and crack it open, only to swig the whole thing. I let out a burp and chuck the can away.

"When you grow up with an alcoholic father, you have easy access to alcohol. Plus, I have potentially less than a week to live, why not live it?" I say shrugging. She doesn't respond, which entitles me to open the bag and pour a bunch of the potato chips in my mouth. I delve in the salty flavouring, instantly reminding me of home and the beach. No wonder Rhode likes these so much.

The silence of the room is interrupted by the ding of the elevator, followed by Drake clambering out soon after.

"Busy, busy, busy day today has been!" Getting people to like you guys is a lot harder than it seems," he says as he takes off his coat and passes it to the nearest Avox.

"Get that dry-cleaned will you?" He demands to the Avox, who quickly nods and dashes off. Drake walks over to us, but stops midway and stares at the beer can.

"Danix, did you drink this?" He asks.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" I reply.

"You shouldn't be drinking, you're underage. That certainly won't appeal to the sponsors that I'm trying to acquire for you," he says as he rummages through his briefcase and starts scribbling in a notepad. I've learnt two things about our escort. One thing is that he is very busy. He always seems to have a lot on his hands and in a rush, even when he should be relaxing. It might be that he is that set on success. The second thing is that he is still somehow very talkative, even if he is not talking to anyone in particular, but just talking out loud for the sake of it.

"Well, look who decided to join the party," says Rhode, with every hint of sarcasm on her voice. Drake glares at her, his eyebrows slightly twitching.

"Excuse me young woman, but I have just been working my ass off to potentially save your life in the arena. What if you are in a desert and got no water at the start? Hmm? Or you are mortally wounded with no medical supplies? I'm the only person that can save you then, and I can only do that by working hard to get you money! So you could act the smallest bit thankful," he says fuming. That shut Rhode up. She rolls her eyes in response, however I'm sure she realised that she might have gone a bit too far with our unpredictable escort. He just snapped all of a sudden.

"Anyways, now let's discuss training. What's going on with the other tributes?" He says, placing himself comfortably on the couch. I rack my brain for all the information I processed at training about the other tributes. In reality, I didn't pay much attention to them like I should have. I was focusing more on Laelia and myself.

"Okay, there are two major threats at this stage. Definitely that boy from District 9, Fletcher I think?" Rhode says. That was an obvious thing that I should have remembered. This is where Rhode excels and I fail.

"Hmm, yes indeed. That monster of a boy, he is very high in the Sponsor Market," Drake says to himself.

"Everyone has their weaknesses and downfalls, continue watching him and I'm sure that you can find out something that can lead to his demise in the arena," he says.

"The second large threat is that whole pack of tributes, the United Pack or something stupid like that," she mumbles.

"Yes, okay who is in it?" Drake asks.

"The pair from 6, 7, 8, and the boys from 5 and 10," Rhode says as she counts with her fingers.

"Most definitely a threat, tributes from 5, 6 and 7 all in the same alliance, they will need to be picked off one at a time, no way they can all be taken on at once. Fletcher probably couldn't even beat them all at once," says Drake.

"What about the District 5 girl?" Drake asks.

"Laelia? I'm allied with her," I say finally speaking up.

"You're allied with District 5?" Drake asks looking at me.

"Well, only one tribute from there," I mutter.

"You best be watching out, she could backstab you and leave you for dead at any point," he says. Drake really knows his stuff apparently. However, I couldn't imagine Laelia doing that, surely not...

"What about you Rhode?" Drake asks.

"I've found myself an ally in Dana from District 12," she replies as she finishes off her bag of potato chips.

"Do you think that is a wise decision? I mean, District 12..." Drake says trailing off.

"So what she is from District 12. She is strong, and she is like me," Rhode rebuts. Drake throws up his hands helplessly.

"Fair enough. But if you wake up and she has keeled over from starvation, I'm going to say I told you so," he says. Rhode gnashes her teeth together.

"Any other alliances?"

"The three youngest and Ladonna from Distirict 2 are the second largest alliance," says Rhode. Oh yeah, I forgot about them.

"The three youngest, who are they again?" Drake asks.

"The girls from District 10 and 11, and the boy from District 12," she replies yawning.

"To my knowledge, Ladonna would be the biggest threat out of that alliance," says Drake. "Is that it?"

"The pair from District 3 are the last ones, the boy is very intelligent, and the girl won the Pillar Trial, so there must be some kind of threat in that alliance," she says.

"I do not doubt that they will be a challenge, definitely watch out for them," says Drake.

I try and keep up with the rest of the conversation, but I'm really at a loss for what they could be talking about. After listening to Rhode, it already shows that she has been keeping tack of the other tributes, while also being careful in covering her steps to not draw attention upon herself. How she wanted to kick herself after she drew Atlas' attention during the Pillar Trial, and how she hasn't shown anything that the other tributes could use against her.

I really should take a page out of her book.

**Author's Note:**

**Ugh! I feel terrible, this is so sloppily written, and so much shorter than what I'm aiming to write, and it just feels rushed. But I wanted to get a chapter out for you guys and school kind of took up all my time in this recent week.**

**I'm not going to lie, school wasn't all of it. I really had a lack of inspiration for this chapter and I was at a complete loss as for what to write, especially to make it my normal length of about 6000 words. I do apologise incredibly for this but I couldn't do anymore for this chapter with this total lack of inspiration. It has nothing to do with writing for Danix, I love him as a character, it's just the type of situation this chapter was meant to revolve around, and the lack of action.**

**I feel that it was kind of fan service, and I am not proud of this chapter. However, on a brighter side, I should be a lot more inspired for all the upcoming chapters, especially since next is the Hunt Trial. Hopefully I'll get this out quicker since I'll be more inclined to write it, however don't hold me to that. If you did actually enjoy it, feel free to tell me what you thought. I felt that I did give a good rundown on what the situation with alliances is at this stage.**

**Again, I'm sorry, and I guarantee that my chapters from now on should be my usual limit. **

**Until next time.**

**-Ares**


	20. Cassie: The Hunt Trial

**Author's Note:**

**I apologise yet again for the amount of time I've gone without updating. This time, it wasn't because I was uninspired, I just genuinely struggled to find the time. I've been trying my hardest to set away time to write, and I've finally been able to do that enough to get 6000 words! **

**Also, I'm working on another series and planning on releasing the first chapter soon, most likely when I post the next chapter of Dawn and New Ages. That chapter will hold the information on getting to my new project which I am very excited about! I say this because I have made a new account exclusively for my new project, as this account is for my SYOT series. This is another reason why this has taken a little longer to get done, since I have been working on that project as well and have been very very inspired and excited about it. I will give you a little hint, if you like the universe and lore of Game of Thrones, then you might enjoy my other story.**

**Keep in mind that this doesn't mean I am cancelling this series. I will finish this SYOT and the other ones I do in the future, I swear it. This will be my main priority, and my new project will be added to when I am inspired, or potentially to demand of readers. I would think of the other one as more of a hobby, depending on how popular it is.**

**Anyways, without further ado, time for The Hunt Trial.**

**Cassia 'Cassie' Summers, 12, D10:**

My feet land gracefully on the ground, while Whent falls flat on his face right beside me. He groans and pushes himself off the floor, looking up at me with sadness etched onto his face.

"I just don't understand, how the hell are you so good with these ropes?" Whent complains. I shrug, giving him a knowing smile. It's pretty obvious why. I'm easy on my feet, incredibly light, and small enough to be able to weave up and down any obstacle course. It's one of the few perks I have about being young and small. Maybe besides a cuteness factor, but I doubt that would get me very far in the games with sponsors when there is competition like that lunatic from District 9 or that pretty boy Atlas. Or the guy from District 1 that threw me off the Pillars, he is an asshole, and nothing more. However from what I have seen, he is a good fighter, and would most likely kill me in a heartbeat.

Naomi lands next to me, stumbling a little bit but managing to keep her balance. She should be pretty good at this too. District 11 with plenty of trees to climb. I guess everyone has their strong suits, and apparently hers is the Bow, which she only just discovered yesterday. I look back up to the top of the rope course, seeing Ladonna still frozen up there gripping the bars up top.

"Come on Ladonna! It's not that bad, even I did it, almost," calls Whent.

"You'll be fine!" Naomi assures her. It's quite an odd sight, seeing someone as big and powerful as Ladonna shaking in fear at something I excel at and enjoy.

"I-I'm sorry, I ca-can't do it," she says miserably, backing away. Naomi sighs while we watch her travel down the fireman pole down to our level. Ladonna is most definitely our most valuable ally, I don't even know how Naomi and Whent managed to get her to join us. I will admit, I was a little sceptical at first. However she has proven that she isn't just some monster like Fletcher. Hell, she even saved Whent from that douchebag Haim.

If it wasn't for her, I cannot deny that the three of us would most definitely be wiped out early and stand no chance against the rest of the competition. Before Ladonna, both Whent and Naomi tried to keep our spirits high, kind of stall the inevitable death of us, and make us forget it. It saddens me that I believe that they think that we actually stood a chance without a protector like Ladonna. Now with the addition of Ladonna, our chance of survivability just went from 1 to 6, at least for most of us. I hate to admit it, but I truly do think it will be Whent that dies first out of this alliance.

Ladonna sheepishly makes her way over to us with her head bowed.

"Sorry guys, I suck at this type of stuff," Ladonna sighs.

"Don't worry about it Ladonna, we probably won't need to in the arena," says Naomi trying to cheer her up. My eyes widen at those words. We better need to do that, that's my specialty. I swear to god, if Ladonna gets me killed in the arena because I don't have the chance to use my skill to escape, well I would be dead. But if I still had conscious thought, I wouldn't be happy.

My thoughts are interrupted by the lunch bell, which isn't representing lunch at the moment. A wave of dread sweeps over me when I remember what is coming up. The Hunt Trial, where I have to run around a maze and hide from Fletcher. A game I'm sure everybody would _love_ to play. Both Ladonna and I make eye contact as the two of us know what is coming.

"Oh sweet, lunch!" Whent says rubbing his hands together.

"Whent that isn't representing lunch," I say quietly. Whent's smile quickly vanishes as it dawns on him what it means.

"Uh oh, that's not good," he murmurs.

"I guess we should start moving, the Gamemakers wouldn't like it if we kept them waiting," says Naomi as we turn to see the other tributes heading towards the Lunch Hall. I take a deep breath and we start walking over. From what I can tell, most of the other tributes appear nervous as well. Many glance around, with fear, and alertness. Nobody likes the prospect of facing the giant we know as Fletcher. I notice that Fletcher is nowhere to be seen, likely to have been led away to the location of the Hunt Trial.

We enter the Lunch Hall, accompanied by all the other tributes. The tension is prominent as quarrels have forsaken some of others. Ladonna shoots daggers with her eyes at Minho while Minho and Liesel both stare at each other, refusing to be the first to break eye contact. Rexx notices Theia staring intently at him with fury, causing him to look away uncomfortably.

Soon enough, the Lunch Hall is filled with all the tributes. Everyone turns their head to Theseus as he stands straight at the front of the room.

"Well, this is the last time I will see all but one of you. Your training days are over, and you no longer have a need for me. To be quite honest, I've grown fond of some of you, regardless of you being from the Districts. I will now bid you farewell. Good luck to those tributes participating in the Hunt Trial, and good luck to you all in the Hunger Games," Theseus says clearly.

"Those who are not participating, please follow these two Peacekeepers through this door. To those who are playing, you will go through the same door as last time leading to the Dock. I will be seeing the victor after the games to congratulate them on their triumph," he says. Those are the last words I hear Theseus utter before he turns and leaves the room. The five tributes who lost in the Pillar Trial, including Whent and Naomi, are escorted through a door opposite to the door that leads to the Dock. The rest of the tributes enter the door and take the long path down to the Dock.

"We need to stick together," whispers Ladonna. I don't allow her to see my eyes wince at these words. This trial is different to the Pillar Trial. We will be split again, however Theseus said it was a maze. I would have no clue where she is. Not only that, but this is a competition that is based on stealth and evasion, which is not Ladonna's area of expertise. And I hate to admit it, but I don't want her to slow me down.

I make sure of mentioning the point of everyone being split up, causing her to sigh.

"Damn, you're right. Well, I guess it's time to say good luck then," she mutters.

"Yeah, good luck," I try to whisper, however it comes out as a squeak. We enter the Dock, looking as circular and dim as the first time. We waste no time as we don't need an explanation like last time, we just do what we did before. The room I choose is one of the few left, luckily many away from Ladonna. She gives me curt nod before stepping into her room. The person on my left is Danix while the person on my right is Theia. Great, Theia. Out of the people in this room alone, Theia terrifies me the most.

I quickly step inside the room and heave a sigh of relief as I hear the hiss of the door closing. And here I am, alone again. Surely I can do this, I was alone for the Pillar Trial since Whent and Naomi were eliminated at the start. After all, this is my challenge, where my best skills have to be adapted. The uniform we wear is the same as last time, except no helmet, not that many people wore the helmet last time. The only other difference is a sleek tablet watch that I place on my left wrist. It comes alive in an instant, and suddenly is showing a screen with all of the tributes faces that are participating in the challenge.

I notice mine flickers on last, and there are still two faces that are blackened out. One lightens up as Minho, and then soon after, the second one becomes Rhode. I notice that both Minho and Liesel have a white stripe next to their photo. Does this have to do with this supposed advantage that they get?

_"Launch in... 30 seconds... Please step into the middle of the circle," _says the robot woman from the Pillar Trial.

Okay, moment of truth. This will determine if I am a contender in the form of stealth and evasion. I'm fairly confident to be quite honest, however the idea of Fletcher hunting me down still terrifies me.

_"Launch in... 15 seconds... Please step into the middle of the circle."_

Well, I'm standing here already. Why do they have to have this whole countdown and such? It's such a gruelling process, they should be able to sense when everyone is on the circle so they can just begin it already.

"_Launch in... 5 seconds... Please step into the middle of the circle."_

Finally! Let it begin. Bring it on Fletcher.

The tube snaps up out of the ground, once again enclosing me inside. My stomach begins to kill itself with my nerves as all the confidence I had just conjured is instantly erased from my body. The platform that I stand on slowly lowers itself down, however instead of being flooded with light like last time, the little pace I stand in is thrown into complete darkness. I would hate to be claustrophobic right now.

There is only a little bit of visibility, as the light from the room above is completely gone. Even the Dock was brighter than this. The lighting just makes this whole experience all the more terrifying. The tube clanks as it finally lands on ground level, and with a slight whirring sound it is gone. There is only silence and darkness. My whole body shakes as I wait for something to happen, as I do not know if we can go, or if there is a countdown, or what.

_"Let the Hunt Trial commence," _says the woman's voice, cutting the silence so sharply you would think it was butter.

I look at my tablet watch and notice it is incredibly bright in this darkness. As much as I would like to keep it on for a light source, that could lead to Fletcher seeing me, so I turn the brightness to the lowest setting. I have to choose right, left, or straight, and I'm not sure what the best strategy for a maze is. The thing is, most strategies would be to find the centre or a way out. There isn't anything in the centre here, and there is no way out. The point of this particular maze is to stay in it and run away.

I decide that it really doesn't matter what way I go, as long as I don't run into people, so I might as well go straight. Thankfully for my body, it is so small and light that I'm able to silently make my way forward, feeling the smooth walls to lead me as I go along. After several minutes, my eyes begin to adjust to the light, and I notice that there are plenty of spaces in the walls to hide, and how tall it actually is. It has many ledges, bars, and things to grab onto or stay on.

As I get deeper into the maze, the path becomes very choppy, with different levels and obstacles to manoeuvre my way around. This is just like the obstacle course in the training room, except in a giant fucking maze. The path ends and splits two ways, left and right. I decide it would be best to take left because, well why not? I slowly tread down the left path trying to listen for any signs of life. I may be evading Fletcher, but it would be best to avoid other tributes as well, especially Ladonna.

My stomach drops as I come to a stop. A large wall stands in my way. Great, a dead end, just what I need. I look up to see if perhaps I could climb over the wall into another section of the maze, however I should have known that would be a long shot since as far as I can see it is pure wall. I shake my head and turn to leave seeming as I have nothing to do here anymore.

As I turn, I freeze in my tracks. Standing at the end of the path, from where I just came, the silhouette of a little girl stands staring at me, with glowing white eyes. She stands in a beam of light that has appeared out of nowhere, and I would judge her to be just a tad smaller than me. My heart is pounding a million miles an hour, my body begins to be covered by a sheet of cold sweat. My body shakes in terror, causing my teeth to chatter uncontrollably.

The little girl stands still, having not moved a muscle since I first saw her. She continues to lay her glowing eyes upon me. I swallow as I frantically think of what to do. Now surely this would be part of the trial. This little girl figure wouldn't have just appeared for no reason. Plus, this only appears to be a little girl. Sure she is creepy as all hell, however I must be meant to get around her.

"Hello there," I whisper, voice shaking. I start slowly edging my way towards the figure, arm stretched out to feel my way.

"Do you need any help?" I whisper again, getting more terrified by every step. The girl doesn't respond, she remains still and staring.

"What is your name?" I ask. I am taken aback when the figure speaks. She doesn't move any visible mouth, it just makes sounds that become words.

_"We are the Banshee,"_ it says in a horrifyingly low and scratchy voice, as if it was speaking in slow motion.

"Wait...we?" I wonder aloud.

_"We are the Banshee."_

I gasp, almost letting out a shriek as I discover where those words come from. A clone of the Banshee figure had just erupted from the original, speaking those words as it exited. I watch in horror as a third one comes from the same original Banshee, and says the most chilling words I'll most likely ever hear.

_"And we are here to serve and notify, Master Fletcher of your whereabouts,"_ growls the third Banshee. I have about three seconds before they act. I back away in fright as they open their mouths that I previously didn't think existed, only to let out a wave of the most ear piercing shriek I have ever heard. I feel like my ears are on fire as I stumble back. I manage to regain my footing and start sprinting away from the shrieks of the Banshee's.

I see an explosion of colours as my head collides with the wall. Dammit, I forgot! The dead end. My head stops spinning and I turn with my back to the wall. The Banshee's have slowly begun to walk towards me, mouths still opened up like a Pac-man, screams that surely surpass the threshold of sound.

What do I do? I'm trapped like a mouse in an alleyway, and the Banshee's are the cat. They're completely blocking my path, and their shrieking is deafening. To top it off, their screaming has likely just notified every single tribute in the maze, where I am. Including Fletcher. I'd be willing to bet that he is on his way over here right now. Think, think, think Cassie! There has to be something. My eyes scan the walls until the idea occurs in my head. I have to do what I do best. Climb. I grasp onto random grooves in the wall to my right. I pull myself up until I can stand on a small ledge about a metre off of the ground. The climb isn't the hardest I've had to endure, in fact, for a second I feel in my zone. Soon enough, I have managed to get a good twenty metres distance between the ground and I.

I leap from groove to groove, down the length of the corridor. I can hear the Banshee's directly below me when I pass them only for them to slowly follow me down the right path, still staring up at me and screaming. I'm so much faster than them, I will be out of here in no time.

I'm about to start leaping away again, whenever I see a flash of light brown hair turn into the left corridor. I turn my head to get a good look at who it is. I notice it is Dana from District 12. She has snuck past the Banshee's as they had walked past the original corridor I had come from. Dana has gone into the dead end path, but I don't think she realises that yet. I commend Dana for her strategy, wait for the Banshee's to walk past and then take off in the opposite direction they were walking. However she did two things wrong. One was she didn't check the path was safe. Two, she was not silent enough to avoid the Banshee's notice.

The Banshee's stop for a moment and turn to look at her figure, still running to what she soon will discover to be a dead end. They then begin screaming again and start walking towards her. I watch as Dana reaches the dead end, only to smash repeatedly on the wall with her fists. She gives up and turns to the Banshee's which close in on her by every passing second. Dana appears to plead and beg for mercy as the Banshee's come in about three metres of her. Dana shields her eyes and clenches her teeth as they step up to her, only to stop. The silence is so sudden, that I hear my ears ringing.

The three Banshee's stand surrounding Dana, who shakes and sobs, cowering in a ball. Why have they stopped? What's going on? The dreadful thought that they might for some reason decide to strike an alliance with her cross my mind, however that is expelled from my thoughts when I hear soft footsteps coming from directly below me. I slowly look down to see Fletcher, holding a crossbow and walking ever so slowly towards Dana. He passes me which makes me presume he hasn't seen me.

Dana watches in horror as Fletcher arrives a couple of metres behind the Banshee's, who then line up beside him. Fletcher examines Dana for a moment, before smirking and pointing the crossbow at her.

"Congratulations, you're my first capture," he says smiling with pure evil. I almost let out a cry as he lets fly a bolt that expands into a net, and traps Dana inside. She lets out a horrific scream that is almost worse than the Banshee's themselves. I watch in awe as the ground opens up and a metal claw grabs Dana and takes her under. The hatch in which the arm came from seals back up, and I realise I am in the presence of Fletcher and three demonic Banshee's. Alone. I feel my tablet watch vibrate and I quickly glance at it. Dana's head has faded out.

"Are there any other's?" Fletcher asks the original Banshee.

"There was one that we trapped, but she escaped. She went that way," she replies, pointing at my corridor.

"Then let's get her," he says jogging off in that direction. I watch quite disturbed as the Banshee creates two more duplicates of herself and begins running after Fletcher, the rest following in pursuit. It's a couple of minutes before I allow myself to start breathing properly again. My talents finally came in useful for once. My heart continues to race so hard I think I might flat line. Until I'm certain that Fletcher and his Banshee's have left the vicinity, I leap down back onto the floor. I need to start moving.

I would rather not go in the direction that Fletcher chose, however the problem is that I have no clue which direction he chose to run in. I decide to take a left turn and sigh with relief when I can see that there is no dead end this time. The floodlight that had been stationed on the Banshee when I first discovered it, has disappeared, once again shrouding me in darkness. Luckily for me, my visibility returns quicker than the first time.

After a few twists and turns, I come to a stop at the sudden outburst of a scream. It sounds quite far away, coming from in front of me, to the right. If I was looking north, it would be coming from the north east. A few moments pass before I can hear it again. It terrifies me a lot, it sounds like a wild animal in a lot of pain. I'm in such a still stance, I almost jump out of my skin when the tablet watch on my wrist vibrates again. I look at it, and discover that Nero has been eliminated. It makes sense really, something has happened to Nero, and he has gone completely mad. I doubt he is in the right sense of mind to be sneaky and notice that he should be running from Fletcher.

The two good things I got out of that incident, is that Nero is gone, and I now know that Fletcher is quite far away. I now change my course to go left instead of further right. I really cannot wait for this challenge to be over with, it is truly staring to become an annoyance.

It's about ten more minutes until I feel another vibration on my watch. Another victim already? We are going to start dropping like flies. I check my watch only for my chest to feel a pang of guilt. Ladonna's face has been blackened out, meaning she was the one just eliminated. What I feel is really confusing. I feel guilt at not trying to find her and stick with her, I feel relief for her being gone and not having to deal with her, I also feel somewhat triumphant at the fact that I outlasted her again, which is stupid because of course I would. This is my sort of challenge, not hers.

But most of all, I feel alone. Just the fact that Ladonna was in the maze with me was enough to make me feel like I had some one else. Now that my ally is gone, I have nobody else to rely on. However, I have nobody else to protect, or hold me back.

I continue to wander the maze, feeling quite relaxed. I've never felt more comfortable in an uncomfortable situation, if that makes sense. It gets even better when I feel the watch buzz yet again, twice. The watch tells me that Aramid has now been eliminated. I suppose the passionate and all out rebel guy wasn't cut out for such a stealthy challenge. I look for the other person that was eliminated, only to be extremely confused. Aramid was the only face blackened out, out of the ones left. Weren't there supposed to be two people that had been eliminated?

It's a while longer until I finally notice that the white stripe that was situated next to Minho, has faded away. Ah, so that is what the advantage is. He gets two chances in the challenge, as well as Liesel. This makes things a bit more difficult. I'm guessing Aramid and Minho were together if they got caught at the same time, meaning that others could be together.

My thoughts are swayed and my tracks are stopped suddenly when a bright light comes on at the end of the hallway I'm currently in. Oh no, not more of those Banshee's. I quickly scramble up the wall until I'm fairly high up, still able to observe the end of the corridor. It isn't a Banshee that appears however, Minho slowly rises up from the ground, I assume from something launching him up. I stay standing still, not wanting to draw attention to myself, but also because I have no clue what to do.

Everything falls silent as Minho has fully reappeared in the maze. I hold my breath as he looks around, scanning the area. I squint my eyes shut, just hoping he leaves so I can move on.

"Hey," I hear Minho say. For a moment I feel like I might die. How can he see me? What is he going to do? I am taken aback however, when another voice almost directly below me answers him.

"Oh shit, ah, Minho... Why are you here?" Theia asks.

"I just got caught, and I'm using my second chance. That was the advantage," he says softly. Huh, I guess I was right then. They stand staring at each other awkwardly for a few moments. I feel like they are just going to leap at each other and tear themselves to bits. Instead, they continue conversation.

"What have you been up to?" Minho asks stiffly.

"Well, I was following the little girl from District 10, however I seem to have lost her," Theia replies. My blood turns to ice at this comment. Theia, the terrifying and savage girl from District 1 had been following me this whole time?

"Have you seen her?" Theia asks.

"Can't say I have, seems that you've lost her," he says grinning.

"Shut up, I realise that," she bites back, crossing her arms. They both stop when the watch on Minho's wrist begins beeping extremely loud, basically like a siren, flashing colours of red and white. Soon enough, Theia's watch begins to do this as well.

"What's going on?" Minho asks shaking his wrist.

"I-I'm not sure," Theia replies bewildered, doing the same. Theia takes a couple of steps back, and the watch stops. Minho does the same and his watch dies down as well.

_"Attention tributes, for those that don't know, if you stay stationary in a certain position for too long, then your tablet watch will give alert to Fletcher of your whereabouts, good luck with the rest of the competition," _says the female voice over the speakers. As if on cue, it happens. I realise a second too late how long I've remained high up on the wall for. My watch begins going bonkers, blaring that annoying beeping siren like sound, and flashing uncontrollably at an insane brightness, despite having been turned down to its lowest.

Both Minho and Theia snap their heads to me, as I furiously hit at the watch to make it stop. Doing this causes me to slide down the wall a bit, and that movement stops the watch. It is silent as we stare at each other, until Minho speaks.

"It looks like you didn't lose her after all." At those words, I fly. Well, not so much fly, but glide from wall to wall, fraying in and out of visible sight. I hear the two of them hot on my trail. Why are they working together? They would have been the last people I would have thought would work together.

It's about twenty minutes after that when I start feeling fatigued, however I feel like they are succumbing to that feeling as well. I have felt my watch vibrate three times in that time span, however I have not been able to check at all.

Finally, I can hear them drifting behind. I quickly stuff myself into a gap in the wall, perfect for hiding. I listen as the run past outside, huffing to each other with coarse voices.

"Did you see where she went?" Theia gasps.

"Yeah, that way," Minho breathes. Their footsteps disappear and I sit, trying to catch my breath. I can't stay here to long, otherwise my watch will alert Fletcher or any passer-by of where I'm located. Speaking of my watch, time to check who got eliminated. The watch tells me that Rexx has been eliminated. This kind of surprises me, I always thought Rexx was pretty quiet, and very smart. I guess Fletcher just stumbled upon him.

Next is Atlas. Yet another United member to fall. So far, they have lost three members, another one having got caught and given another chance. That leaves, Hera, Vince, Libra, and Minho again. To my delight, the third person was Haim. How lucky for me! I outlasted him this time. Now I just need to outlast the others. So it starts again. I continue to wander the halls like before, except making sure to keep an extra eye out and my hearing up to as high as it can be. With all that has happened in this maze so far, right now it feels like the quietest it has been.

I almost trip over a raised block of the floor, not seeing it and barely regaining my balance. I look carefully and realise that the whole path in front of me is blocked by little cubes, all stacked unevenly and carelessly. I climb up a few until I have reached the major blockage point. I try pushing the cubes, but they don't budge at all. I try banging my fists on them however that doesn't work either, it more just hurts my fists. I stare up at the cube wall to see if I can spot anyway through it, because I mean, it can't just be a dead end. It's the only thing I've seen like it in here, it must do something.

I spot a small gap high up, close to the top. It is very slim, but someone like me may be able to get through it. As I start propping myself up onto some of the cubes, I am stopped in my tracks by the females voice, ringing over the speakers.

_"Greeting's tributes, you are half way there and more than half of you remain! This means we will have to step it up a notch. Each and every one of you have now made it to a precarious looking wall, made of basalt cubes. This represents the half way point of the maze, meaning you are almost at the middle," _the voice coos. Halfway to the middle? They wanted us to do that?

_"Now we are sure all of you have met our lovely minions, the Banshee's. Well, if you do not make it past the basalt cubed wall, then you will be getting a visit from the Banshee's. Further challenges will be explained once you have made it, good luck!" _The woman says, sounding delighted at the fact that the Banshee's are going to be coming for us again.

I am about to start climbing again when I hear yet another voice.

"Hey little girl! That's our way out," hisses the girl from District 5, smirking at me. I think her name was Laelia. With her is Danix for some reason. Are they in an alliance or something? Either way, I don't fear these guys nearly as much as I fear Theia, Minho and Fletcher.

"I have a name," I retort back.

"Oh yeah, Cassie was it?" Danix asks.

"You don't have permission to call me by that name, you can call me Cassia," I hiss.

"Shut the fuck up! Don't talk to him like that you little bi-," Laelia spits, interrupted by an insane roaring shriek. The three of us are forced to block our ears as the waves of the shriek almost make us topple over. Is it just me, or do I hear them coming from far away as well? Laelia and Danix turn behind them to see at the end of the long corridor, a bright spotlight shining on one of those Banshee's of pure Darkness, shrieking circular waves at us. It is then when it starts running at full sprint, duplicating into two more and shrieking even louder.

Danix, Laelia and I all glance at each other, only to break into chaos. I start climbing the cubes as Laelia and Danix rush over to the wall. I squeak as I feel one of them grab my ankle and pull me down a bit, causing them to hoist up. I spot Danix on my left and quickly climb up next to him, only to push down on his head to get myself up higher. He shouts as he slides back down a couple of cubes. I then move up a bit higher and notice Laelia, realising it was her that grabbed my ankle. I grip one of the cubes with my legs and then get ready.

Laelia raises her hand to grab a cube, but before she does, I grab her wrist. She glares at me and raises her right arm to punch me, however I dodge and grab her other wrist. Now I am the only one that stands between her and escape. She appears to realise what is happening and gives me one last pleading look. I shake my head and push her back. She lets out a wail as she falls back, landing on her back. I can hear the whoosh of air leave her chest on impact. It is done.

I manage to scale the rest of the cube wall very swiftly, despite my nerves of the Banshee's and my shaking adrenaline from what I did to Laelia. Just as I am about to leap through the small hole, I look down at the others. Laelia has begun to climb again while Danix is close behind me. No more distractions. I leap headfirst into the little hole in the wall, blocking my fall with my arms. I wince a little as my arms begin to throb with pain, it's not bad enough though. I am just beginning to push myself off the floor, when Danix lands next to me. I hear him groan as he makes a thud upon contact.

"Danix!" I hear Laleia scream. He quickly looks around wildly.

"Laelia?" He shouts, looking up at the hole. Laelia has appeared at it sticking her arm and head through.

"Danix!" Laelia screams even more frantically. She has a glint of panic in her eyes as Danix begins to rush to her. Just as Danix is about to reach her, her eyes open widely, her mouth gapes open in horror. She releases an ear splitting scream so loud, that it drains out the noise of the Banshee's, as she is dragged back into the other half of the maze. A few seconds later, both the screams abruptly stop, and I feel a vibration on my watch. I glance at it to confirm that Laelia has been eliminated. Both Danix and I kneel, trying to regain our breath and energy, but also trying to take in what just happened.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Asks a voice that comes from behind us. Both Danix and I slowly turn, only to stare face to face with Fletcher, aiming his crossbow at us.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	21. The Hunt Trial II: All That is Dark

**Author's Note:**

**My god, it's been way too long since I have updated. I'm really sorry, so I pushed until I finished because I needed to get this out before I leave on holidays. This is part two of the Hunt Trial, and involved a whole lot of imagination and time.**

**So I have learnt from the past how I can make a trial more interesting. In order that you don't know who wins just from the POV that is showing, you will be getting POV's from the tributes that remain. So it will kind of be like a Games chapter, a preview of what it will be like to have multiple POV's in one. **

**A few of you mentioned in the reviews that you don't exactly take interest in a character, or you see them as rather bland, remember there is plenty of time for character development, I'm not going to jam all of someone's personality and backstory into their first POV just to make you think more of them. Your opinion on them will hopefully change as the chapters go past.**

**We also now have a forum! Thanks to the lovely, Music Rules the World. The link is on my profile, so feel free to check that out and chat away.**

**Now that we have addressed that, time to continue the Hunt Trial! **

**Danix Bait, 17, D4:**

It feels as if all the food I had in my stomach just multiplied, making me feel sick. At this moment in time, I couldn't think of anything worse than the situation I'm currently in. I'm trapped with Cassia, trapped by Fletcher aiming his crossbow at us. He eyes us with a crazed excitement, changing who he aims the crossbow at every couple of seconds. I slowly back away, finally feeling the rocky cube wall graze my back. Now I'm well and truly cornered. I quickly glance at Cassia, she stands poised and ready to flee, kind of like a deer or a rabbit.

The three of us all glance carefully at each other, trying to read the moves that the others may make. At this stage, it doesn't look good for Cassia or I.

"Look who it is, Mr Fisherman and the girl that ran. Don't think I didn't know it was you that got away after I got that first bitch, who else would be that high up on the walls?" Fletcher says, pointing at Cassia. She doesn't respond, staring fearfully and steadily back at him.

"What a great situation! I've trapped two more tributes, that's two more tributes out of this ridiculous trial," Fletcher says smiling. I frantically try to think of something I could say to get out of this, I need to prove Rhode wrong and show her that I'm no weakling. However as I stand in front of Fletcher, a small part of me realises that there is no way out of this. My options have run short and I'm basically screwed. If I do as much as move a muscle, Fletcher will shoot that crossbow at me and I will be gone. My best option is to not move and hope he chooses Cassia to shoot instead of me first.

"Now, the big question here is, who do I shoot first?" Fletcher says icily. He sounds crazed, and excited, not a very good combination if I must admit. The last thing I expect to happen, is when Cassia steps between me and Fletcher. Uh, what is going on? Fletcher looks like he has been slapped with bewilderment, but also amusement. He lets out a roar of laughter and pretends to wipe his eyes.

"Awww how adorable, the little girl wants to sacrifice herself for her friend?" Fletcher asks sarcastically.

"Nope," is all that Cassia says. She begins running at Fletcher, which is the stupidest thing I have ever seen anyone do ever. Fletcher draws his crossbow and aims it at her, only to pull the trigger. This sounds really corny, but it really does feel like it is in slow motion. The bolt flies at Cassia, which she leaps over. She rolls into a ball and goes right between Fletcher's legs, regaining her stance behind him and climbing up the wall almost as fast as I can run.

Fletcher lets out a cry of alarm and begins chasing her, drawing another bolt. What he doesn't see, is the first bolt hit me dead in the chest. It expands into a net and traps me inside, ending my time in the Trial. I watch as Cassia leaps down the corridor on the walls while Fletcher bounds after her. As the metal claw drags me into the ground, one thought sticks with me.

There is always the Hunger Games.

**Theia Cartelle, 16, D1:**

My watch buzzes again, signifying someone else being eliminated. I briefly look at it to find out that it is Danix that has now been caught. As if reading my thoughts, Minho speaks up.

"There goes the guy from 4," he pants.

"His name is Danix," I reply, catching my breath. We had barely escaped those Banshee creatures on the other side of those cubes. Minho's upper body was difficult to force through the small opening. Luckily for us, it seems that Fletcher is preoccupied somewhere else, having just caught Danix.

"Are we still following that girl?" Minho asks. I had been following the girl from 10 for a while until I lost her and ran into Minho. She had ended up leading me to the last person I wanted to be thinking about. I mean, I'm still trying to understand just what is going on. That night on the rooftop, refuses to be pushed from my mind, and often that is all I can think about. At night, it used to be all the death I anticipated bringing to the games. Now it's of this boy, and it really isn't something I'm comfortable with.

Anyways, I had been following the girl in hopes that she would lead me to somewhere important. It seems that this is her environment and would have no problem finding what would be necessary. It's a very big maze, so of course they wouldn't just let us roam around this large area. Nobody would ever run into Fletcher. Sure enough, they had plans of bringing us closer together.

"Hopefully not, I don't want to run into anybody else during the rest of this trial. We found the halfway mark without her anyways, she would be no use to us now," I explain to Minho.

"So basically running after her was useless, great," Minho complains bitterly.

"Well how was I supposed to know we were close?" I snap back at him. Minho looks as if he is about to say something but backs down before he does. One thing I have noticed, is that Minho would argue with anyone, absolutely any tribute that challenges him, except for me. It's like he is afraid to speak against me, or maybe he doesn't want to?

"You do realise, if we run into any of the remaining tributes of my alliance, they'll kill me for sticking with you. Especially Hera, since you eliminated her in the last trial," Minho says changing the subject.

"Then we will just have to avoid them as best as we can," I reply. I decide not to add the fact that we can just abandon each other and go our separate ways, mainly because as much as I hate to admit it, I crave Minho's company, even more so in the maze because of how dark and silent it is. It's good to be around another human being that I don't hate, unlike every other tribute in these stupid games. They all piss me off, except for Minho.

We continue to wander for a bit, mainly in silence because I'm at a loss as for what to speak about. I'm mainly preparing myself as well, the woman over the speakers stated that further obstacles would be explained once we passed the cube wall right? So that could occur at any moment now, meaning I have to be ready to run.

"Not going to lie, this whole thing has been so boring to me. No fighting? Not how I roll," Minho speaks up.

"I'm not denying that, I much preferred the other trial," I reply.

"Okay, what do you think the arena will be like?" Minho asks thoughtfully. I pause for a second to consider it. Honestly, I have no clue what the arena will be like. They haven't given us any clues, which I don't think they would be planning on doing. Also, there are so many factors that it could make up! It could be inside or outside, desert or frozen tundra, historical or modern, tropical or stormy, realistic or something completely crazy. It would only be limited by the game makers imagination.

"If I had to guess, probably some war landscape with craters, barracks, bunkers, and a vast no-man's land," I say. Minho nods his head approvingly.

"That's a fair assumption," he says chuckling.

"What about you?" I ask.

"Huh?" He replies blankly.

"If you had to guess, where would it be?" I say rolling my eyes.

"Oh, well, I think it would be a replica of all the District's, except destroyed, in ruins, and conquered," he says with his face scrunched up in thought. This guess makes me laugh.

"I would not be surprised if that is what the arena is," I say shaking my head.

"What would it be if you got to choose?" Minho asks. Oh this one could be interesting, if I got to choose the arena.

"Probably a tropical landscape, similar to District 1," I say almost dreamily, thinking of that sweet air and warm heat, the almost always sunny skies.

"District 1 is tropical? I thought that would have been District 4," Minho says confused.

"I've been to District 4, it's similar, but District 4 is a lot more humid, and scorching. It's always sunny there. District 1 has a nice cool breeze to compliment the heat. You should've gone to District 4, nice place," I reply.

"Yeah, well, District 5 is very poor if you didn't know, I would never have even been able to afford to go to even District 12 if I had desired to," Minho says glumly. Well that's a touchy subject I'd rather not stay on.

"So what would you pick?" I ask, checking around the next corner we turn. Minho takes a moment to think, before deciding on what he would pick.

"Something like underground catacombs," he says finally.

"Hmm, why would you choose that?" I ask.

"Because back ho-, I um, always have had an interest in stuff like that," he says. Was he about to say something else?

"Well quite frankly, that would be too similar to this shithole of a maze we are in, so I wouldn't want to go down that route," I inform him.

As I say this, my head explodes. Well, not really explodes, however it feels as if someone has just crushed my head until it popped, Oberyn style (if you got that reference, please tell me in the review. I simply couldn't resist). My head throbs as my ears are filled with the highest pitched noise I have ever heard. My reality drastically changes to a blinding flash of colours behind my closed eyes, accompanied by severe dizziness that I struggle to fight against. Somewhere, through all of this, through my hands that are covering my ears, and massaging my head, I hear a scream. The sound of a wounded animal gone mad surely. Yet I know that it is me creating that scream.

I swear the ringing is getting louder. I collapse to my knees, trying to keep my sanity intact. When this happens, a voice speaks. It comes from inside my head.

_Shithole, you say? _Is all that it says.

...

I open my eyes, to see nothing but blackness, and feel something covering my mouth, rocking me back and forth. I scramble away and go to punch whoever covers my mouth.

"Woah, woah, woah, calm down Theia, it's me Minho," the person says, holding his hand up. I stop my fist and breathe heavily, completely confused by where I am.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You started screaming and holding your head," Minho informs me. "That's why I was covering your mouth."

Slowly, it comes back to me, and I realise what happened.

"A voice spoke to me," I say rubbing my head.

"It did? What did it say?" Minho asks. However before I can reply, the whole corridor is filled with an awful smell. We both retch in disgust and cover our faces with our tops.

"What the fuck?" Minho complains.

"It smells like-"

"Raw sewage," I cut him off. Before any of us can act, we are almost knocked off balance by a large tremble. The ground rocks vigorously as we try to stand properly. The stench is getting stronger as now I can smell it through the clothing. The sound of rushing waterfalls begins to come into hearing distance, coming from behind us. My eyes widen as we both turn slowly to look behind us. The end of the corridor has been overflown by a wave of raw sewage, flowing like a tsunami right towards us.

"Run," I shout, as I grab Minho and start running away from the wave of shit.

**Libra Spindle, 16, D8:**

The ear piercing scream finally ended, however I am still yet to feel a buzz on my watch. Perhaps the person got away from whatever was chasing them. From what I can tell, it was a girl screaming, but I'm not sure who. I decide to pass the time and try to work out who it was.

It wasn't me, I know that for a fact. It also wasn't Hera since she is with me right now. I somehow doubt that Cassia would be able to produce any sound as loud as that, despite it being obviously a decent length away. I'm crossing off Theia as well because she doesn't seem like a person to scream or get scared. That leaves Liesel and Rhode?

"Who do you think it was?" I ask Hera softly, the same tone we have been speaking in since we first encountered each other.

"Not sure," she whispers back. We peer around the wall to see what awaits us, fortunately viewing nothing. Even though I hate to doubt myself, I'm surprised I've lasted this long. I've already lost Atlas which is quite a depressing thought, however I never ran into him so I couldn't have stopped it either way. Anyways I'm getting side-tracked. As close quarters as District 8 is with its extremely industrial setting, and muggy polluted air, I still am not that great with those type of environments.

I pass it off as luck, and a good type of luck. If I haven't been caught yet I must be doing something right. Luckily for me I'm not alone either.

"How long do you think we have spent in this maze?" I ask.

"Not sure, maybe a couple of hours?" Hera says unsure. I would have to agree with her, I really am tired and I yearn to see proper light again. However, this advantage must be worth all the effort, so I have to try, right? Before I can respond to Hera, the woman begins to speak over the loudspeaker. This can't be good, whenever she speaks it follows with something drastic happening like getting attacked by Banshees. I perk my head up and pay attention to what she has to say, as I assume not doing so would be a bad idea.

_"Each of you have done very well! We as Gamemakers are pleasantly surprised with your efforts so far. We were in no way anticipating this amount of you to stay in the running for this long. Although, this could abruptly change following this announcement. _

_A couple of you have already had a run in with quite a scary situation. However, some of you haven't and have remained rather unscathed. Each portion of the maze that you are in has been sealed off leading towards the centre. Some of you have decided to stick together, and others alone. While you are in the separated portions, you will never be alone, but you may want to be if you run into what breaks your introverted space._

_Many of you will be eliminated before you get to the centre, so we wish you good luck and we shall speak to you there, if you make it."_

The lady's voice is cut off, echoing in the silent atmosphere of the corridor. Hera stares at me with wide eyes, as it both dawns upon us. We are one of those that have remained relatively unscathed.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit what are we meant to do now?" Hera asks in a panicked flurry of speech. As I start to reply, I am again interrupted by a soft hissing sound coming from my left, which was where we came from. I look to see a pitch black fog, blacker than night, rolling and seeping right towards us. I don't know what it is, and I know I need to leave right this second. However, like the cliché that it is, my feet are rooted to the ground.

"Libra, we need to go. Now!" Hera shouts trying to pull me. I stand still, in dead fear with a hint of fascination.

"Libra!" Hera shouts again, beginning to sob. As much as I am trying to pull my body away from this spot, I stand frozen in horror at what is beginning to occur in front of me.

"Please forgive me Libra," I hear Hera whisper. With that, I listen to her footsteps drift further and further away. The fog in front of me begins to twirl upwards, convulsing and shuddering violently. My mouth drops in horror at the figure that begins to take form. The figure is the same shade as the fog, with a long daunting body wrapped inside a black hooded cloak.

I feel its eyes trained on me, almost examining me. It should be this moment that I decide to get the fuck out of here, and when it lifts its arm covered by a long raggedy sleeve, and points a pale skeletal bony hand at me, that is exactly what I do. I release a bloodcurdling scream as I turn on my heel and finally bolt after Hera. I'm not sure which way to take I my frantic state since it splits two ways at the end, so I take the left. Was this the way that Hera took? I may never know. My spine shivers as I run due to the thought of the hooded figure following closely behind, a reality that becomes much too real when I quickly glance behind me. The sound that it makes is similar to a long and deep sigh, which definitely doesn't give the image of a happy and cheerful creature.

"Hera!" I shout out, hoping to earn a response. If I do get one, I can't hear it over the noise. Maybe she doesn't want to alert the creature to her position, so she has decided to remain silent. As my feet pound down the next corridor, the horrible truth dawns upon me. This thing is going to keep following me until I give up and it captures me. Surely there is some way to stop it?

I almost slam into the incoming wall because I'm too busy thinking of a means of escape.

"Libra," I hear someone whisper harshly. My head turns at the speed of light to see Hera, crouched behind a groove in the wall. I knew she wouldn't abandon me! Well, I guess she did, but not entirely. She motions for me to get over to her position, so I scurry over, thankfully a moment before the entity and its black fog have turned the corner.

We push against the wall to try and avoid the gaze of the menacing being. I rest my head from the intense running that was caused. My breathing is much too loud, instantly enhancing my nerves that we will get caught, so I cover my mouth to try and quiet down the noise.

_I know that you're here._

My blood runs cold at the sudden words. It sounds like it is coming from all around me, in a voice like a crackling fire accompanied by a demonically deep tone.

_You cannot hide._

_You cannot run._

_I will find you._

_I taste your fear._

_I smell your angst._

_I hear your heart._

_I feel your breath._

_I see your soul._

My heart only pumps faster when it speaks these chilling words while it wanders in search, which is supposedly a bad thing if he can hear my heart. I almost jump out of my skin when I receive a tap on my shoulder. I calm when I realise that it's Hera.

"We need to go, we can't stay here," she whispers. I nod and we both prepare ourselves to run. When Hera starts running, I follow her along the same path. I slam into the back of her when she comes to s screeching halt, causing the two of us to collapse. I see stars when my head hits the ground, throbbing in pain. Why'd she stop? When the Sparks have finally faded from my vision, I realise the true reason as to why she stopped.

The entity looms over us, ominously floating ever more closely. Now that we are so close, I can so more details. The scythe on its back which it grabs in its right hand, the raspy and long breath it takes. It's now, that I realise I'm literally staring Death right in the face. It is meant to be the Grim Reaper.

I'm pulled back by Hera just as Death is about to swipe us with his scythe. I feel Hera start scrambling away, which I instinctively follow.

"Run!" Hera shouts, managing to jump to her feet and pull me up. We bolt towards the way we came, the complete opposite direction to Death. What am I doing here? Why was I chosen for this nightmare? I didn't ever do anything, to harm the District's nor the Capitol. All I did was make clothes, exactly what District 8 are meant to do.

And as I breathlessly run, I prepare myself for the worst. I'm no Rexx, who is the smartest person I personally know, I don't deserve Atlas, this is all too much. Especially when I turn to see Death following hot in pursuit. So I stop. It may be a combination of exhaustion and cowardice, but physically and mentally, I cannot keep this up. Even if it helps me later on.

I stop under a single beam of light, coming from the ceiling, the same as of the one that came on when the Banshee's were released into the arena. Why I stopped under this? Mere coincidence.

"Libra! What are you doing?" Hera screams frantically. I turn to her, guilt undoubtedly spread across my face.

"You can get away Hera, I'll be a holding you back anyways. This will buy you time to escape," I say with utter sadness evident in my tone. With that, I turn to see Death, almost arrived, coming at me with increasing speed. I clench my fists and close my eyes, ready for him to take me. My eyes fly open at the sound of a hoarse and scratchy sound. I look to find out it is the sound of Death, directly in front of me and burning in the light beam. As ironic as it is, I believe it is Death, dying. As I watch him burn in the light, it dawns upon me as to how we can defeat him.

"Hera, turn your watch up to full brightness and shine it upon him," I instruct her.

"Got it," she says, adjusting her watch. We both do so, and turn the light to him. Death screams even louder now, dropping his scythe and trying to shield his hooded face. As much light as we shine upon him, I still can't manage to see into the darkness of the hood. The black fog around him begins to dissipate as he kneels down and crumples to the floor, letting out some sort of demonic sigh as his body twitches.

My chest flutters when the beam of light suddenly shuts off, leaving our watches as the only source of light. Both Hera and I pant heavily, after the effort of running and defeating Death. After this, we begin laughing in relief.

"Come on, let's get out of here and move onto the next part of the maze," Hera says, flashing her watch down the hall to see the way ahead.

"Agreed," I grin. Hera steps over Death and starts walking in the direction we were originally going. As I step over Death, I feel a tight grasp on my right ankle. I let out a cry as I am dragged to the floor, and consumed by black fog. I hear Hera screaming my name, but she sounds muffled.

"Hera, get away!" I shout, my voice sounding as if my head was in a glass bowl. I struggle against the fog, which continues to wrap itself around me. After a moment, I realise my efforts are futile. I close my eyes and allow myself to be dragged into the floor and be eliminated. I lasted a while I suppose, I can only hope that either Hera, Vince or Minho win this thing.

**Quinn Holland, 16, D11:**

Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it. I rest my back against the wall and rub the sudden cramp in my thigh. I only stop when I feel a buzz on my wrist. Sweet, someone else has been eliminated. I look at it and discover it was Libra, the District 8 girl. Shit, I was hoping it was Hera. Ever since she declined to leave me alone in the arena, and in that bitchy way she did it as well, I've had quite the vendetta against her.

In the end, it didn't really matter what I had to tell the two from District 6. All I was going to tell them was about the Pillar Trial, before they were announced. Not only that, but to be quite honest, those two have surprised me with how, underwhelming they are. Like me originally, I'm sure everyone thought that they were just instantly good because of where they came from. However at this point, District 5 and 7 seem like the promising ones out of that United Pack, and they aren't the only deem able threats in this competition.

Once my cramp has cleared, I begin walking again, continuing to navigate my way through the labyrinth of dark hallways that makes this maze. Ever since the announcement, I have been on high alert. Before it I hadn't really had anything go wrong. I had briefly spotted Fletcher earlier on, however he luckily missed me. And of course there was the run in with the Banshee's, which I'm led to believe everyone has met by now. So it's only a matter of time before I meet my obstacle that apparently is imminent.

The air has been getting colder by the minute as I continue to progress through the maze. The ground has begun to slope down, which I can assume won't end well. Maybe I shouldn't have volunteered for this pointless game. I've wasted the past few hours in a maze, a long and endless dark maze.

I let out a cry of surprise as my feet become stuck and I fall flat on my face. I allow a low groan to escape from my lips. What the fuck did I become stuck on? I pull me legs away from what I feel to be some sticky, string like substance. Is this my obstacle? It may have been successful in its purpose of trapping me or slowing me down, otherwise, it isn't very effective.

However, when I walk into another bunch of the sticky string, I cough and splutter as it hits my face. What is this? Just an annoyance? As I stumble forward more, I become wrapped in more sticky string, until I finally break through and stumble to my knees. I spend the next few seconds furiously pulling it off. When I look up, the hallway looks a lot smaller, with it looking only circular due the circular pattern of the string leading towards the end, in sort of a tunnel. The tunnel holds an ominous, atmospheric blue lighting to it, almost as if it was a late foggy night. I step towards the strings to examine them closer. As I hold it, it sticks to my hands, refusing to come off entirely when I violently jerk my hand.

When it dawns on me, I could swear that I feel my heart trying to break out of my body. This isn't sticky string...

I look behind me to go back the way I came from, but when my eyes fall upon where the path used to be, all I spot is a wall that has come into view. This leaves me with one option. I stare down the tunnel at the potential exit. If I do this fast, I can get it over and done with.

I tread quickly down the tunnel, making sure to remain quiet and unnoticeable. When I reach the end, I am introduced to an even bigger room, all covered in the sticky substance from before. It is no ordinary sticky substance however, it is spider web. The room is about the size of the Dock, still leading downwards towards an exit. The temperature is particularly frosty now, so much so that I can see my own breath.

I twist my body to face towards a sound similar to one that crunching leaves would make. I gasp when I spot a shadow scurry out of sight.

"Nuh-uh, nope, fuck this, I'm out," I say throwing my arms up in the air. As I am about to exit the room, my soul practically leaves my body as a shadow lands right in front of me. Eight legs, as big as a rhino, snarling like a feral dog. I have just been faced with the biggest spider on the planet.

I'm left speechless as it lets out a screech, similar to the Banshee's, raising its legs into the air like a horse and lurching forward. I'm forced to roll under it, just making it out before it lands. I start running before it finds out where I went. I run away from the room, stumbling over numerous stray web batches along the way.

I'm so focused on escape, I barely notice the cracks in the wall, that a moment later smaller wolf sized spiders leap out of.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," I shout, speeding up even faster now. Just because, I stick up my middle finger to every direction so the Gamemakers see it. The wolf sized spiders are faster than the mother one, fast enough so, that they attempt snapping at my legs a couple of times. However, once I kick one and it instantly dies, I realise I might not be so helpless after all.

I count there to be about seven small spiders left. The biggest one has appeared to slow down as it probably thinks its babies will take care of me. The first one comes at me, only for me to kick it away. It makes a small screech as it flies through the air and presumably dies, landing with a thud on the big one.

This time, two come at me. I pause for a second as I think of what to do, concluding on a similar action as before. I kick the one on the right, sending it to the same fate as the first, and then I stomp on the left one's head. It dies with a satisfying splat. I grab a leg off of the third spider and rip it off. Can spiders get poisoned by their own venom? I don't know, but I think I should test it.

As the five small spiders and one big one slowly close in on me like a pack of starved wolves, I rip off a fang from the dead one and stab it through the end of the leg. I get a close look at it, dripping some type of purple liquid that can only be venom.

I ready myself to face the spiders. Three of the small ones progress towards me, baring their venomous biters. The middle one dives at me and I bring down my makeshift spider weapon onto its head, it dies with a hiss. A second one quickly crawls towards me while I attempt to reclaim my weapon. I only just get it out when it lumps at my head. I wouldn't have it recovers quickly, however my weapon is already shooting down on its head.

As I pull the weapon out, the effort that it took me causes it to fly back above my head, knocking the third that had just leapt at my turned back. It is knocked into the big spider, which pushes it out of its path and into some web. I breathe heavily at the effort that it is taking me. I grudgingly raise my weapon as the big spider and its two remaining comrade advance towards me. Oh no, there is no getting out of this one.

I turn on my heel and run, my legs feeling heavy and my arms non-existent. The last two spiders are hot on my heels, snarling even more viciously than before. I'm not sure if it is because of the brothers that I had just killed or perhaps they just aren't a very friendly bunch of spiders. No shit Quinn, they have been trying to attack you ever since you first saw them.

As I run, I face toward the one on my left. With great difficulty, I swing at it with my weapon and it goes flying back somewhere. This gives me more room to get away from the spider protruding from my right side. I prepare to do the same thing to the last small spider, but before I swing, the spider jumps on top of me. I topple to the ground with the spider and frantically shove it off. I scramble to my knees before it, and manage to punch its eyes, causing it to squeal like a pig. I grab my weapon which thankfully was lying right beside me, and slam the hilt of the dead arm, repeatedly until the last spider has its head caved in.

I jump up to my feet, and eye the big spider. The big question right now is, how the fuck am I supposed to beat this monstrous beast. I ready my weapon by raising it like a baseball bat. The spider readies itself by spitting a spray of deadly venom towards me. I dodge it by jumping to the side, and then dip the tip of my weapon in the purple poison. I feel like the spider is a bull, preparing to charge at me. When it does charge at me, I am ready. I slam the scythe like weapon into one of its many eyes, causing it to shriek like the last spider when I punched its eyes.

The spider lunges towards me, which I manage to swiftly dodge. I puncture its sack and drag it down causing its sack to open up. The shriek is even louder than before, that must have been painful to it. It's evident it was when the spider knocks my makeshift scythe out of my hands. I don't even have the time to say "shit" when the spider leaps on top of me, pinning me to the floor. It's so heavy, it probably broke a few ribs.

This is it. This is how I'm eliminated, by a fucking spider. I mean, sure it hasn't happened yet, but it's already spinning me into a web. What can I do? I frantically turn my head, to see my weapon in arms reach. I extend my arm in reach for it, for what could be my last chance.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	22. The Hunt Trial III: Fletcher's Game

**Authors Note:**

**So you probably forgot about me, right? I don't blame you, two months is pretty pathetic to go without an update. So inform us Ares, what excuse will you use this time? What can I say? School has been crazy (followed by annoyed groans from the audience). Yes, yes, I know, school again? Ares you can't constantly use that excuse. Well the thing is, I can't. However, I will when it is the reason. I just went through my exam period everyone, and I'm sure that most, if not all of you have had the... Pleasures... Of exams. I'm going to be straightforward. They fucking suck.**

**It is incredibly infuriating when you have fantastic ideas for your progressing story phase through your mind, only to be shut down by 'focus, study, pass'. Not only that, most of all I feel I am letting you guys, the people that have actually stuck around for the duration of it, down. I mean, I haven't even gotten to the games yet, and my god do I want to get to it.**

**There is a silver lining to this unfortunate issue however. Exams are over, and to those in Australia, that means summer holidays. Yes, I have finished school for this year, and I will have three months of sweet fully bliss writing time, which by the end of it, I fully expect to have at least started the games. So without further ado, and hopefully no more unsettling and extensive breaks between updates, let's finally get to the conclusion of the Hunt Trial, or should I call it, Fletcher's Game.**

**Quinn Holland, 16, D11:**

The spider releases a wail as I penetrate its abdomen. I utter in disgust as a vile smelling liquid pours from the puncture hole and onto my hands. I quickly try to pry my weapon out of it, but there is no way of doing that, the skin is too thick and it has become stuck. I give up trying and manage to crawl out from under the spider while it's distracted.

I wince at the pain coming from my chest, no doubt a couple of ribs were broken. I grunt as I climb on top of the spider, already planning on what I intend to do. Time to use its own weapon against it. I grab the web that is still attached to my body and jump down onto the other side of the abdomen. I collapse in pain as my feet make contact with the ground. Luckily for me, I think it's in more pain than I am.

I lift up the abdomen which seems to be a key part of it and appears to be very sensitive, and climb underneath it onto the original side I was on. As I begin to climb it again, it starts shrieking louder than before, even twitching and convulsing. It's working. I'm constricting it with the web. I finally make it on top, which was an even more difficult task than before due to it shaking and spasming. The effort that it has taken me has had its toll, and with one last ounce of energy, I lunge off the top.

I hear the spider make the sound signifying its death, and the whole back of it splits in two, causing a gush of the vile goop to flow out. I start retching from a combination of the smell and energy that it's took. It's a bad idea. Every time I lurch forward to vomit, my ribs feel like they are getting snapped into smaller pieces.

I don't know how long I kneel there for, on my hands and knees. However after the vomit begins piling up, I realise it will keep going unless I get out of the vicinity. I try to get up, but instead collapse flat on my face again. No. No not now. What if another spider comes out? I'm well and truly fucked then. I must get out of here. I muster all the energy that I can and rise to a standing position. But once I'm on my feet, I realize escape may not be so simple.

I'm dizzy. I'm fatigued. I'm weak. I take a few steps, only to end up on my hands and knees again. My panic radar begins to go off the charts. I can't walk properly. I can't get away from this area. I need to. But how can I do that when my legs are genuinely incapable of working? I turn my head to see how far I have managed to get away from the beast of a spider, only to be struck with horror when I spot a fang embedded into my left calf.

When did that happen!? Oh no, this is the reason I can't walk, I couldn't even feel it before because I am slowly losing the feeling of my body. I pry the fang out of my leg, but I already know it's too late. How can I win this thing now? Hell, how can I even leave the area? As far as I can tell, I'm well out of it now.

I am about to lower my head in defeat, when I realise what I'm doing. This isn't the Quinn Holland way. I don't just give up. Until I'm eliminated, I will keep going forward. The question is how? I examine my surroundings for an idea. My eyes rest on the spider. When I originally ripped the leg off one of the smaller ones, its leg was straight and stiff, making it easier to use as a staff of a weapon. I can't support myself on my own since the venom seems to be slowly paralysing me, but perhaps I could use one of its legs to support me instead.

With an effort, I crawl over to the spider, completely still in death. This spider is so much bigger than the other ones, so it will most definitely be more difficult to rip a leg off of this one. However, when I make it to a leg and pull as hard as I can, it comes off as if I was peeling the skin of a banana.

The leg itself, is incredibly stiff. It is petrified and hard as cement, weird with how easily it came off. I slam the leg onto the ground and push myself up to my feet, taking an alarming amount of effort. I find I can progress forward by sliding the leg forward and feebly managing to drag myself over to it with the little ability my legs retain of working.

_Yeah, I can do this, surely, _I think to myself, as I drag myself a little further. However, by the time I've made it to about the doorway leading out of here, I'm completely worn out. I'm not sure if it's the venom or I'm just too fatigued, but when I look ahead of me, a void of darkness is all I see. I'm hesitant to go in there and my mind tells me to wait. My body on the other hand feels like water, so I'm not surprised when I fall forward into the void. What I am surprised by, is when I land something smooth and metallic, leading downwards.

I feel my body slide down the slide, plummeting into God knows what. I can still feel the solid leg clenched in my hand, at least enabling me to walk. I drop onto the hard ground below, finally stopping. As I stare down a long hallway, my legs ache in resentment. Paralysis isn't permanent, right?

**Minho Lyun, 17, D5:**

I stare below me at the gushing brown liquid that has taken up the entire space. It seems that if you are around the smell of shit for that long, you apparently get used to it, because to me it's like there is no smell to accompany the raw sewage any longer.

Theia would be one to disagree. She hangs in front of me, gagging and hiccupping, on occasion even spitting out bits of bile that erupt from her mouth. I grunt as I swing forward a couple of times, until I am side by side with Theia. When she sees me, she calms down a bit, even appearing to smile slightly. It doesn't stick though.

"My senses are blocked by the effects of this shit tsunami, my arms ache from hanging onto the bars, Minho I don't know if I can make it," she manages to get out, panting with the effort it took her. She doesn't appear to be lying, although I'm not sure why she would be. Her eyes are watering most likely from the smell, her whole body shakes and her lip trembles the worst. Beads of sweat litter her face which is currently pale as snow. Her eyes are rounded into the look of a defenseless and vulnerable animal.

She doesn't look like the normal Theia, the one that scans the room as soon as she enters it, or the one that refuses to back down from insulting others, no none of that at all. She is scared, vulnerable, she looks like a helpless little girl. It's strange, part of me feels inclined to take her in for a hug, a feeling I am not at all accustomed to. The part where I am hanging above a river of feces by bars that just so happen to be here is the part that holds me back.

I don't blame her for acting like this, the thought of falling into the murky liquid below is not at all appealing, in fact, quite resenting. I scan the area to see what solution we have, all I come up with is moving forwards.

"Theia, how much energy do you have?" I ask her. She shakes her head, presumably to snap out of her panicked state.

"Enough, to get away from this," she says bitterly. My mouth twists in sympathy, a burning pit of determination steadily brewing inside of me. Seeing her long blond and mattered hair looking like it just came out of the rain makes me realize just exactly how much time we may have left. Not much.

"We need to do this quickly Minho, I think it's rising," she says, voice gathering intensity. I snap out of my stupor, thinking quickly.

"Okay, all I need you to do is hug my body," I say firmly, making sure she understands. She eyes me with surprise, however nods all the same.

"I need you to hug as hard as possible, and whatever you do, don't let go," I say, breathless by the end of it. Before she can really respond, I grab her around the waist with my left arm. Despite a surge of adrenaline, I still struggle to hold up both myself and her with only one arm. Before too long, she manages to wrap both her arms and legs around my body, burying her face into my chest to shield her from anything else.

I reach up and once again grab the bar, now having the support of two arms holding us up. I take a large, deep breath before swinging forward and robotically grabbing onto the next bar. My field of reach is limited by Theia, and momentum is much more difficult to gain with the two of us, however I manage to hold up and staggeringly move up a couple of bars.

Despite all the madness and the frightful situation we have been flung into, my thoughts change again. That has been a common occurrence lately, I've noticed it has happened quite a bit since I have arrived in the Capitol, maybe even later than that. Even though it has usually been a result of Theia, they aren't exactly what I think about this time. I think about how I've changed.

I mean sure, one could argue that it is because of Theia, I'm not denying the effect she has had on me. I've become nice, considerate, concerned for one person other than me. It truly is beyond me. To say the least, it scares me. How much I can change in just a matter of time. Back in five, it really was just every man for himself. In all seriousness, I had killed six people by the time I was twelve. I'm not one to get all cozy with someone.

I am snapped from my thoughts when that person I am getting cozy with is screaming. Theia screams, kicking wildly at the creatures that leap out at us from the sewage below. I can hear their razor sharp teeth click together each time they take a bite at our legs.

"Minho! Get us out of here now," Theia screeches in terror. I am once again fueled by adrenaline, starting when I boot one of the piranha like fish across the lane. My muscles push and are filled with fire as I rapidly swing from bar to bar. My breath is so fast paced that I can hear it over the gush of sewage.

"Stop," Theia says hoarsely over the noise. I am thankful for this due to the fact that I didn't even notice the absence of more bars. There is quite a gap between the final bar and an entrance that leads to a slide. My heart begins pumping with panic. No way does Theia have the energy to get over to that. There is only one thing I can do.

"Theia, I need to throw you, I may not make it, but you have to go on without me," I say softly, trying not to panic her. It doesn't really work.

"No, we can both get over, you better make it over," she says stubbornly. Without any further words, I begin swinging back and forth, slowly gaining momentum with each swing. It feels like Theia is holding me tighter than before, almost to the point that she is constricting me. I tense in anticipation as I swing for the last time.

I feel everything, although I feel it in a blur. My hands parting the bar. The air rushing past my face. My hand resting on Theia's behind. Pushing it forward to make the distance. It's only when my body collides with the wall, knocking the air from my stomach do I return to reality.

It's only a brief moment that our eyes meet. She begins slipping away down the slide and into the abyss. I can see her mouth open, hear her cry of despair as she reaches towards me in a last futile effort to save me. It's much too late for that, I'm way too out of her reach. Instead, I start slipping the other way, as I lose my grip on the grimy brick edge of the opening. My body begins dropping, and soon our eye contact is lost.

All I see is the black opening of the hole as I fall into the brown. Despite falling into the vile sewage, one thought remains in my mind.

The games still remain for glory.

**Vince Rojarze, 18, D10:**

I kick the wall in anger at the task presented to me. Well, it's not so much a wall, more so a thick bundle of vine like trails, all pitch black and coming down from above which seems like hours of climbing, although I doubt it is truly that long. Climbing just isn't one of my strong factors. This is the reason I'm angry, and I'm not one to get angry often. Basically I'm trapped at the bottom of this pit, further stalling my time of making it to the final zone.

The strange thing is, I'm not alone either. Liesel stands nearby, clawing at the vines in fury at what has happened. The two of us were running. It was a clear sprint to that entrance to the slide. The two of us were kind of pushing each other, I twisted the words there, she was trying to push me away and make it to the opening before me. I don't blame her, we were kind of getting chased by someone, or something. Basically I have no clue what was chasing us.

The ground collapsed underneath our feet, and fell for what felt like ages. Now we have ended up here, in this position. I latch onto the closest vine, and hoist myself up. I do this until I've reached a vine higher up.

"What are you doing?" Liesel asks bluntly. I pant with the effort it has taken me, sort of trembling due to the strength my body has required.

"Up, and out of here," I grunt, reaching up for the next portion of vine. Liesel sighs in desperation.

"Surely there is another way out," she says exasperated. I pause for a moment, considering what she said. Perhaps, I'm just doing this for no reason, and in reality there is a much simpler way out of this. I scratch that thought quickly when thoughts contradict those ideas.

"I don't believe so, that's not like the Capitol. They will do what will put us through the most pain and effort, and what will test us to the extreme. Besides, you saw that slide up there, they obviously let us see that for a reason," I comment.

Liesel groans as she reluctantly joins me in my efforts to crawl out of this place. I shift my mind back into focusing on climbing. However, by five minutes into it, I am utterly exhausted. I haven't touched the climbing ropes or the obstacle courses at training, in fact I haven't done much other than weaponry training. I briefly remember Cassie, my District Partner gliding throughout the obstacle courses, beating the rope courses with ease. I remember her whole alliance trying out that section, from the boy from 12 completely failing, to even the huge girl Ladonna attempting but seeking out of it.

I shake the thoughts from my head, as they aren't particularly motivational and more so jealousy inducing. Something else motivates me. A person. A girl. I didn't expect to get taken to the Capitol, or District 0 as I know them, to meet someone that I truly care about.

The desire to get back to her, pushes my effort into overdrive. It's when I start making better progress that I realize Liesel has almost caught up to me. Her mouth is turned into a firm grimace, most likely at the effort she is going through. It's only now, being closer to her with somewhat of a light source from above that I can somewhat see her properly, she looks worn, determined, brow creased in frustration. Her face is coated in a shiny layer of sweat, but is nowhere near as shiny as her eyes.

Her eyes, blue as the sky on the clearest day, staring ahead almost pleadingly. For some reason I'm almost mesmerized by her face until she looks at me and raises her eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Liesel asks slowly, taking the opportunity for a couple of heavy breaths. I think of why I did stop in the first place, remembering it was because she had caught up so fast.

"We aren't still racing are we? It would be easier to get through this together right?" I say. I say this as a request for peace against us, because I really don't want to be on her bad side. She sighs, following up with a bleak "I suppose", before continuing to climb.

"If you don't want to get left behind, you need to hurry up though," she calls back as she passes me. I begin to drag myself up once again, looking down to see where I can rest my foot and finally notice how high up we are. It's only this moment I realize how profusely I have been sweating.

"Oh god," I silently whisper.

"What was that?" Liesel calls from above. How she heard me I will have no idea, the fact that she startled me to the point I almost fell, nobody will ever have any idea of either.

"Nothing, don't worry," I say frantically, trying to scramble up to catch up with her. It's not too long before something else goes wrong. Before I even consider that we things might be going right for a change, Liesel glances down and gasps. I am now beside her, so I look over at her to see her expression fearful.

"Look Liesel, not to be a bitch, but I don't do so well with heights, so may I ask what the fuss is about?" I ask hesitantly.

"Just look down," she snaps in a state of hysteria. I look down, expecting to see a long drop, most likely a fall to our death, not particularly something to judge Liesel for gasping at since I would personally have gone into hyperventilation. Oh it is so much worse though. Not far below us are the ends of the vines. Have we just climbed barely any distance? Nope. Have we just been climbing vines that continue to grow at the top, thus causing us to make no progress? Nope.

In fact, there is no floor made of vines anymore. All I see is the abyss, blackness, nothing. The vines have deteriorated behind us, and are catching up quickly. I look up to see the top is only a mere 10 feet away from us, doing little to stifle the issue creeping up behind us.

"Quick, climb!" Liesel shouts giving me a boost. As I climb, the thought strikes the back of my mind that Liesel has quickly gone from trying to cause me to get eliminated, to trying to save me. How people can change in such dire situations. I begin to hear little noises, such as the popping of popcorn, or more disturbingly, the cracking of bones. I nail it down to being like a crackling fire, which I feel might be the sound of the deteriorating vines. Each crack has a slight echo sound to it, making it feel otherworldly.

The top is just in an arm's reach, so I grab onto the edge and push myself up. Before I am entirely in the opening, I turn back to help Liesel. It is only when I do this that I realize Liesel is dangerously close to the end of the vines.

"Liesel quick, you can make it!" I shout. Despite her evident determination however, both of us can tell she is on the brink of falling. I reach out my hand, the only hand I have available, being my left. With one last final ditch effort, she leaps up as the vines vanish from next to her. Her hand grasps onto mine as she screams with a mixture of both the effort and fear of almost falling. She dangles below, using all of her strength to cling onto my hand. I do so as well, except I have a problem. My hand is too sweaty.

Liesel seems to realize how clammy my hands are, as she seems to be slipping a little more by the second. Not only is my hand sweaty, it's my non preferred arm, my left arm. I barely have enough strength to hold her up, yet alone pull her up.

"Liesel, I don't think I can do it. You're too heavy for my arm," I gasp, ashamed with myself. Liesel appears to know what has to happen, and thus sighs one last time before looking up at me. There is a moment, where the pair of us lock our eyes. I don't know what it is, but I just stare into her beautifully blue eyes.

"Don't worry, I still have another chance to use when I get eliminated. Just drop me and continue forward, we might run into each other in the final zone," she says softly. I'm not sure if I am seeing things, but I feel like I spot her smile at me.

"I don't want to. But if I ha-"

"Good luck," she interrupts me. I give her one last apologetic smile before letting go. I watch as she drops down into the abyss, quickly disappearing from view. I sit up and allow myself to slide forward into the unknown. As I feel the buzz of the tablet on my wrist, I can't help but think of what an amazing girl she is.

**Hera Loughbrook, 18, D6:**

How long have I been running for? That question strikes me as I uncontrollably pant, with every step I take sending pain shooting up my leg. I thought I was safe. I thought he was dead. We had shone light upon him until he crumpled onto the floor and twitched in his dead state. The fog had disappeared as well as all evident life that he held.

Yet, when Libra stepped over him, she was grabbed onto and consumed by fog. I stared at it as she was surrounded. I called to her, to see if she could follow my voice and escape the madness she was in. I could even here her shouts, her shouts that ordered me to move on. So when I looked up and saw the mangled body of the partly rotted Death after he was supposedly melted by the light, move on is just what I did.

I ran as the fog began to pursue me. I ran as I felt the buzz on my tablet representing the elimination of Libra. And I've continued to run through two other buzzes of the tablet. I've only been able to look at the first buzz after Libra's, which was shown to be Minho again. That is what led up to this moment.

Every now and then I've turned around to confirm that both the fog and Death are still following me. I don't understand why, they got Libra, wasn't that enough to satisfy them? Was it because she was willing sacrifice herself for me and they weren't happy with getting someone willing to get eliminated? It infuriates me yet I cannot do anything about it.

I let in a sharp intake of panic as I find the end of the hallway, only to end up in a circular room. I desperately glance around looking for a way out, or an exit, and I see one. A black opening appearing to lead downwards. There is only one problem. Having stopped, my body is in a state of refusal to move anymore. When I was running, I thought I would stop but I just kept running. Now that I have stopped, my body refuses to act again, instead it rests and uses the time to recover.

I am now on my knees, sweat dripping down my forehead, bile building up in my throat. I allow it to roar out of my throat, expelling itself onto the ground in front of me. I spit what remains into the puddle and look up weakly. Death rises from a small ball of fog, directly in front of the opening.

I look around me as fog come billowing into the room, surrounding me and rotating in a circular pattern. I stare at it helplessly, covering every bit of wall and furiously rotating the length of the room. Death makes some noise, potentially a victorious laugh, although it sounds like someone shouting a laugh into a long tunnel, echoic and crackly.

I try to motivate myself to think of a way out, but deep down I can tell that there is no way out of this situation. I am well and truly trapped. I raise my arms up as if I was surrendering, staring Death down with the last bit of fury I can muster.

"Go on, you've trapped me, I'm done, I can't escape, finish me off!" I scream at him with anger. Rather than attack me, Death just stares back at me, with his hollow eye sockets that held black eyes before we attacked him with light, now his hood is off and his eyes don't exist anymore.

"What are you waiting for?" I shout, almost sobbing with fury. He is silent for a moment more before taking out his scythe. This is it, this is the end of the Hunt Trial for me. I shut my eyes and ready myself for him to claim me, and send me back to the Capitol's recovery rooms. All I hear is the thunk of metal and wood on stone. I open my eyes to see a scythe directly in front of my knees. It's a tad smaller than the one Death holds, more suited to my size. The wood is painted a shiny black while the blade is a silvery iron that reminds me of the moon. When I pick it up, the wood feels smooth and cool in my hands, almost to cool.

_To escape us. You must fight us. You must battle us. You must conquer us._

I barely have time to comprehend Death's ominous words before he raises his hands and eliminates the fog from all around us. In its place, is five snarling and demonic looking hounds. I stumble back in fear, uttering a gasp at the sudden occurrence. Each dog is eerily huge, about the size of a wolf. Each one is a different colour, the one on the far left being a dark brown, the one next to it being a dark grey, the one on the far right being a light grey, the one next to that being a snow shade of white, and the biggest of all of them, the one in front of Death, a pitch black.

Each one snarls, beginning to close in on me. I manage to make out that each one looks gaunt, rotting in its place, pretty much dead. Just to top it off, each one is on fire as well. What are they? Hellhounds? Death dogs? Mutated mutts? My brain clicks at this thought. Mutations. Mutts. They are mutts. Just like the ones that District 0 and 3 developed in the war. They are testing the mutts on us before the games. This must have been the whole reason for this Trial.

"All of you, are fake! Made up! Created in a lab! You're not real!" I say through gritted teeth. So when the brown mutt leaps at me, I have no problem slamming the scythe into the top of its head. I see the blade come through the roof of its mouth, piercing the tongue, and then coming out through the bottom.

This causes the rest of the mutts to howl and bark at their fallen comrade's death, potentially fueling their anger. I pry the scythe out of the top of its head, sighing when a bit of the blood splashes onto my legs. This time the light grey mutt charges at me. Having only just pulled the scythe out, I am not prepared for the mutt. I manage to stumble out of the way just in time, so that it speeds past me and crashes into the stone wall.

As it recovers from the crash, I slam the scythe into the side of its head, killing it instantly. When the scythe is pulled out, it recoils behind me into the path of the dark grey wolf that appears to have just leaped at me. It whimpers as it is pierced through the chest but the scythe, and struggles on the ground. I have no clue what to do, so I just tear the scythe down the length of its chest all the way to the bottom of its stomach.

I'm confident it is dead when vile black liquid pours from its stomach. I turn to face the remaining to mutts, which is the white one and the black one, and of course Death patiently waiting. I decide to call the white one Ghost, and the black one Night. I am taken aback when Night is the one that comes forward to face me, instead of Ghost. Night is about the size of a donkey, Ghost being only a bit smaller, however Night is just tremendous.

Night charges forward and I swing the scythe at him, missing him by an inch. I lift the scythe up and smash it on his head. Unfortunately it hits him with the blunt side, meaning I missed the opportunity to kill him. Night whimpers and falls to the floor, both growling and spitting at me in retaliation.

Luckily for me, Night appears way too dazed. I lift up the scythe to finalize the killing blow, only to be knocked to my side by Ghost. I lose my breath as I impact the floor, feebly watching as my scythe slides across the room. Ghost snarls and snaps at my face, until I punch him in the snout.

As I am pushing myself up, Night jumps onto my back, probably crushing a few ribs in the process. I shout in agony at the pain he is causing me by sitting on top of me. Ghost comes over and holds down my legs, stopping me from wriggling around. My arms are trapped underneath Night, and my chest is in unrelenting pain, rendering me quite futile at this moment. Death silently glides over to my wheezing and huffing state. He bends lower, low enough for me to smell him. The scent of rot and death invades my nostrils as he opens a hole that I assume is his mouth.

_You are not worthy of beating us yet. You refer to my pets as Night and Ghost? Well Night, Ghost and I will be seeing you again, in the arena. _

As he surrounds me in the same pitch black fog, I am left horrified by what he said. How could he know that I called them Night and Ghost? Isn't he just a mutt?

**Rhode Nerida, 18, D4:**

The slide ends, greeting me with a dark hallway with a big wooden door at the end. Come one Capitol, surely you're done playing with us, surely this is it. The end. The last part of the maze, the trial, fucking whatever they call it.

I have to admit, I've had quite a pleasurable ride throughout the entirety of this trial. I barley ran into those Banshee things. I didn't even see a shadow of Fletcher, and the supposed big challenge up there, was some type of mix between a Minotaur and a shark. I don't know what they were thinking, giving the District 4 girl a shark to fight. One bump to the nose and it was down. It's lucky I had no trident or spear on me to stab its nose rather than punch it.

Regardless, an easy challenge led to an easy victory. I walk down the length of the hall, making sure to be silent in case of anything on the other side. The Capitol will be sure to make a memorable end to this, something to take us all out.

I am distracted by a buzz by my tablet, nothing new to me. It seems to have buzzed multiple times recently. I briefly scan it to see who was eliminated. Hera, the girl from District 6. Well, District 6 may be a powerhouse, but this certainly didn't end well for them. The remaining tributes appear to be yours truly, the little flighty girl from 10, that sneaky and mysterious guy from District 11, Theia from District 1, Mr. Nice Guy from District 10, and last of all Liesel from 3, the winner of the Pillar Trial.

Besides Liesel and Theia, the others don't really make an impact. I should consider myself lucky that Liesel lost a chance, otherwise it would make this thing a tad more difficult. I slowly grab the handle to the door, and pull it open, ready for any surprises. Apparently I'm not. I fall forward into some glass chamber. I scramble to my feet once I hit the ground, however the roof has shut. I frantically look around, banging on the glass to try and find some secret exit.

I feel the chamber start moving forward, and I instantly calm my panicked state. It's all a part of the game. Just play the game.

After about 30 seconds of moving, it stops and quickly gets whisked above leaving me on some platform. I look around the room, the first thing I notice being the other tributes. To my left stands Mr. Nice Guy, who I vaguely remember as Vince. He stands sweaty, shaking, with his eyes widened as he frantically glances around the room. I spot his eyes land on Liesel, who appears very similar to him, sweating, shaking, and scanning the room as if she is surrounded by spiders or something.

On my right stands the girl from 10, shaking worse than anyone else. I check my tablet to discover her name is Cassia. Her hair is curly and messed up, and she appears to be panting a whole lot.

Directly across from me I spot Theia. I can smell her from here, and it's absolutely fowl. What her challenge was, must have been revolting. Her hair is matted and she is ever so pale in the dark lighting of the room. She sways back and forth, appearing very weak and worn at the moment.

The guy from 11 whose name I check to be Quinn, appears to be in the worst state of all. He is only just managing to stand up, supporting himself with what appears to be some large branch or something. He slumps forward and wraps one arm around his chest. His hair is crazy right now, a lot of his body is also covered in some green liquid. He appears to grit his teeth with effort in order to stand. Jesus what did these guys have to go through.

Many of them stare at me, and I almost feel unwelcome with how unscathed I appear to be. There isn't too much time to think about that though. Each platform begins to descend down until we are even with the rest of the room. The room is circular, and very similar to the rest of the maze. Stony walls and floor, dark grey in colour, rather cold in atmosphere. There is something different however.

A hole. A hole that a platform is rising from. A platform that holds Fletcher. Everything becomes tense as he appears, sneering at each and every person. He smirks when he is done looking at the faces of utmost fear.

"Well, who is ready to play a game, my game?" He asks. He turns his head and makes eye contact with Cassia, who appears to be backing off in complete terror already.

"It seems like this bitch is ready to play, after all, she had me chasing her for a solid hour or two. This time, I won't be the one running though," he says snickering at all of us.

"Oh, by the way, you guys may want to run," he says, bringing out his net gun. This is when chaos breaks out. Everyone with the exception of Quinn, spreads out, screaming and shouting. I briefly spot a net just misses Cassia as I turn to run in the opposite direction from her. From what I can tell, she is his biggest target, therefore it is likely that he will aim for her. Theia scrambles to the most distant area, away from Fletcher. I want to do the same, but I don't exactly want to go near her. Theia's a bit insane, and these conditions certainly aren't helping her.

I find myself near Vince and Liesel, who have for some reason found each other's company.

"I'm so sorry about before," Vince says clearly upset.

"Don't worry about it, it was the only option," she replies softly, despite the chaotic situation.

"Are you sure?" Vince asks.

"Absolu-" Liesel begins to reply.

"Watch out!" Vince shouts. He dives into Liesel, pushing her out of the way of the net. Unfortunately for Vince, he is instead hit.

"Vince!" Liesel cries crawling to him.

"You know, people closer together are more commonly easier to hit with bullets or nets, because you know, larger targets and all," Fletcher says calmly as he reloads another net.

"Liesel, run now," Vince cries. Liesel nods and runs, and I do the same. I get a glimpse of Vince getting take by some claw into an opening in the floor, then he is gone just like that.

That's why nice guys finish last.

The tablet on my wrist buzzes to signify Vince's elimination, meaning only five remain. I can do this easy. Liesel appears quite distracted by the events that just unfolded, perhaps it was the fact that she just got saved, but she looks pretty shocked. Cassia can't exactly hide in an open circular arena, plus there is the whole, Fletcher wants to attack her.

Theia appears strangely, fatigued. She almost looks dazed, yet still aware of her surroundings. Either way, easy to beat. To top it all off, Quinn looks as if he is semi-paralyzed. He has barely moved from his position, assumedly not yet out because he has been fortunate enough to not have a vendetta on his head.

I watch as Fletcher closes in on Liesel, who scrambles back in the hopes of getting away. Deep down, I know it's too late for her. Fletcher laughs with a boom as he draws the gun out and aims at Liesel.

"Well what can I say, you're trapped like vermin in an alley, farewell," he leers. He draws back the bolt and lets the net fly, capturing Liesel as she shields her face from view. My tablet buzzes yet again as she is dragged underneath the floor. I prepare to run yet again, however Fletcher finally notices Quinn, who slumps against his support stick and huffs repeatedly.

I find myself backing up, right near both Theia and Cassia, the three of us watching in terror as Fletcher aims the gun at Quinn.

"You know, wounded animals are so much easier to catch, mainly because they can't run away," Fletcher hisses. With no time to spare, Fletcher shoots the net. All of us are taken aback when Quinn throws some scythe or axe looking thing at the net, stopping it midair as it has caught something.

Fletcher stares, showing slight surprise on his face. He doesn't allow this to happen for all too long. Fletcher loads another net and wastes no time with shooting that either. This time, just before the net hits Quinn, he allows himself to fall to the side as the net captures his support.

Quinn lands with a thud on the ground, right in front of a pissed off looking Fletcher. He stands there fuming with his two current failures, going on to load another net. He pokes the barrel of the gun to Quinn's face, almost snarling with his anger. Quinn stares at him helplessly, appearing to accept his imminent fate of capture.

"Fucking dammit, just lose already!" Fletcher roars, pulling the trigger and capturing Quinn. As Fletcher is distracted by this, the three of us remaining all glance at each other. One of us will get eliminated meaning the last two win. One of those will be me.

Theia looks behind us in horror, instantly sprinting away. That can only mean one thing, but it's too late. I feel a rough grasp around the back of my neck, instantly tightening my airways. I gasp for breath as I feel myself lifted up off of the ground. My entire body tingles with pain at the pressure my neck is going through, trying to stay rooted to my body.

I am then turned around to find out that both Cassia and I have been lifted off of the ground by a menacing Fetcher. His eyes flare with anger and little bits of spit are flung from his mouth. Cassia appears downright terrified, realizing that the beast that has been chasing her has finally caught up.

"I get to choose which one of you I eliminate from this thing. So I will choose without a doubt, this little bitch here," he snarls, lifting Cassia higher up. Fletcher then proceeds to throw me to the ground. Part of me feels relief at the lack of restriction on my neck, the other part feels pain when I collide with the cold hard floor. My vision is blurry as I look back up, did I hit my head? The world spins as Fletcher holds the gun to Cassia. He shouts a couple of things that I can't comprehend, due to how muffled he sounds.

Cassia gets wrapped in a net shortly after, and is dropped to the floor, I don't hear the thump though because my ears are ringing. Is it a celebratory alarm or am I just completely loony at this stage. I think I spot a dart hit Fletcher, knocking him out very quickly, but is it real? I'm not exactly sure where Theia is at the moment, but I'm confident she is around, after all she did win.

That's what precedes the thought I have as I finally pass out from the concussion, the thought being that I won.

**(Yes I had to call the dog Ghost, a reference that all those GoT fans will get. I was tempted to call Night 'Shaggydog' instead, but I figure that would be over doing it :). )**


	23. Fletcher: The Weapon Needed

**Author's Note:**

**Alright, we are back to normal now! No more Trials, no more pointless antics, just chapters that lead us to the Games. This didn't take anywhere near as long to get out as the last chapter, and I hope I can stay to this pattern. From what I have learnt, the closer Author's begin to get towards the games, the more regularly they update, so I hope that has the same effect on me. **

**Now before I go on, I would like to inform everyone of a new SYOT, still open for new submissions until December 31****st****. The story is: Death Under the Sky (SYOT) by Paradigm of Writing**

**New tributes would be appreciated especially in the younger aged section, check it out!**

**Fletcher Wilds, 18, D9:**

I'm chained down. That is the first thing I notice when I finally come to. The room appears rather familiar, despite the limited visibility I have available. Perhaps that is what I find so familiar. It doesn't take a genius to work out where I am, lucky enough for me since I am no genius. It's the room I started off in, before we started that Hunt Trial.

Funny enough, I don't remember who won. All I remember is my blinding rage at that little aggravating bitch, who I somehow couldn't catch until the ending. It calms me a little knowing I prevented her from winning. My anger can overwhelm me incredibly quickly, I will admit that. There's nothing wrong with that in my eyes, especially since it fuels me enough to do some decent damage to the competition.

I try to move around a little, noticing that my movement is severely controlled. From being tied, chained, or bound up my entire life, in any social circumstance or movement to another domain, I've gotten a feel for different techniques of being tied up. The one I'm in currently is unsurprisingly tight, in fact it is tighter than usual.

I do notice that it uses less straps and chains than in District 9, a very poor and pathetic District that doesn't have much to contain me in, and it appears to be a stronger sort of material. I'm not sure what they call it, but I'm sure the nerds from 3 could figure it out. The reason I am bringing up the material is because I distinctively remember overhearing a Gamemaker mentioning that it is made from the same metal uses in the District 5 girl's hair. If this metal is strong enough to contain me, I need to watch out for her hair.

The room lights up as a door directly in front of me rises up, to reveal the figure of an older man I would assume to be in his fifties. His hair is greying, although appears to still be predominantly black, and is slicked back. His face is gaunt, eyes rather droopy and lips small and sealed. He stands tall, skinny due to his age, and slouching forward a tad. His eyes, I notice are cold, grey, and lifeless, yet still appears to be calculating. They are hidden behind a large pair of glasses, rimmed black and evidently see through able.

One thought strikes me the instant I see this man, who scans my body and gives me a cold smirk. He isn't from the Capitol. There isn't any colour on this man besides the greys, blacks and whites. Unless this is some new fashion craze that has swept District 0 by a frenzy, I would consider it highly unlikely that this man is from the Capitol.

"Good evening Fletcher Wilds," he greets me, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck do you want?" I ask bluntly, refusing to break eye contact.

"Oh excuse me, how could I be so rude not to introduce myself. My name is Edison Belkry, former Mayor of District 3 and now Vice Head Gamemaker of the Hunger Games," Edison explains.

"So you're a disgraced Mayor that is hated everywhere, even by some of his own people, and has no choice but to make a living in the Capitol?" I say, the sarcasm extremely heavy on my voice. He grimaces a little before softly laughing what I said off.

"Well, we all appreciate what is in our best interest, don't we? I'm sure you do as well Mr Wilds. For example," he says suddenly, pulling up a metal chair, a decent distance away from me.

"I am very much a fan of causing chaos, rather than being amongst it. So what better way for me to not lead my District into battling the Capitol, but instead working for them," he says, almost in a daze of pleasure.

"I think you're mistaken, don't you mean District 0?" I ask, smirking. Edison is alert in a moment's time, staring at me as if I had just slapped him, which I certainly wouldn't mind doing personally.

"You filthy cunt! How dare you address the saviours, the leaders of the people as that dirty derogative name. There is the Capitol, and only the Capitol," he spits out, breathing heavily. I watch him in amusement as he stares at me snarling and shaking in fury.

"I knew District 3 were District 0's pets, I didn't realise how much of a kiss ass all of you were," I say, trying to push his buttons. It seems like he is tempted to lunge at me and try and do as much physical harm to me as he can, which wouldn't be much, however he coughs and regains his posture and sophisticated attitude from before.

"As I was saying, Mr Wilds," he says through clenched teeth, "I avoided fighting in the trenches, and I got to create my own methods of fighting you rebel scum."

"I'm no rebel, I'm no District 0 fanboy either, nor am I neutral. I'm against all of you, each and every one of you is my enemy, so don't even try to call me one of those United turds," I hiss, making Edison back up a little.

"Fine, Mr Wilds, I was fighting THE rebel scum. I was fighting them with mutts, especially manufactured in District 3. That whole Hunt Trial you just did, that wasn't to test the tributes awareness, or stamina, or any of that nonsense. It was to test our mutts, or more so MY mutts. And what a success that was!" Edison says, stroking his beard.

"Yeah. But what does this have to do with me," I snarl, beginning to get impatient. Edison appears to snap out of his glorifying memories and pays attention to me.

"Well Fletcher, you like inflicting pain, you like to end people's lives, don't you?" Edison asks, obviously knowing the answer already.

"Yes, it brings me pleasure, almost like a necessity to me. I crave it, in fact. What's your point?" I ask, slightly curious with where he is going with this.

"You see, Mr Wilds. Most of these kids, think the Capitol are a joke," he says, almost glumly.

"They aren't wrong," I say, hoping to earn another lash out. Edison simply purses his lips and continues on.

"We need you, Fletcher. Pretend you're on our side. Make them think that, and we will help you out in the arena. We will make life for you easy if you make their lives a living hell. You, Mr Wilds, are the weapon needed, the weapon that can put the districts in their place. Now are you with us?" Edison asks, the most serious I've seen him since we have met.

I take a moment to consider it. Using this opportunity to make sure I can leech as much out of it as I can. I can't think of much, they have pretty much offered everything to me on a shiny silver platter. However, there is one thing. One thing that I also need.

"Okay. You want me to be your weapon in the arena. I can do that, on one other condition," I say, making sure I am being clear.

"Go on, I am listening," Edison says smiling.

"In the arena, you lead me to the little bitch from 10, Cassia. You lead me to her, you let me kill her, and we have a deal," I say, grinning sinisterly. Edison can't help but allow a sly grin to present itself on his face.

"I'm glad we could work something out," he comments, standing up and crossing his arms.

"Get ready, your Private Sessions begin soon, I will see you there," he informs me before stepping outside of the room. Before I can say anything, the door's slide shut and the silence is replaced by the hissing of spray, presumably sleeping gas, or something of the sorts… because, honestly… what… what else… could it… be.

…..

_I open my eyes in an instant. Where the fuck am I? It's dark, it's cold, and all I see is black. I do remember drifting off to sleep, what was that, about five minutes ago? It feels like practically no time has passed so far, and now I am in some unfamiliar space that I get an overly hesitant feeling in terms of moving._

_What did Edison say moments before he left? Get ready for the Private Sessions. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know for a fact that this isn't the Private Sessions. They were described as being in the Training Room, which is drastically different to where I am now. We were told that we would be showcasing our various skills to the Gamemaker's, including Jonah Welsh. They aren't anywhere to be seen. As far as I can tell, there is nobody else here but me._

_They also said we would have to wait in order of the District's until it was our turn. As far as I know, District 9 is not fucking first. I can only comprehend one logical solution to this situation. I'm dreaming. That doesn't explain why it feels so realistic, I mean, why am I visibly cold, why can I hear my heavy breathing echoing throughout the space I am in?_

_I have heard of lucid dreaming, but from what I've heard, it isn't exactly like this. Lucid dreaming should enable me to control the dream, what happens, where I am, even when I am. Although, people that are dreaming don't exactly have a sense of time. Since I can't summon a light with my mind, I obviously am not controlling the dream. In fact the only similarity that I can tell is that both lucid dreamers and I currently, are aware that it is a dream._

_Perhaps, I'm not in control of the dream, but District 0 are themselves controlling it. I wouldn't put it past them to attempt to control my thoughts or actions, they are bent on violence and destruction of the tributes after all. Luckily, they seem to be limited to only dreams, or dream like sequences. _

"_Hello there, Fletcher," a voice echoes throughout____the void I am in. It sounds relatively similar to a voice I have heard recently. The calm, sophisticated attempt of a voice instantly strikes the name Edison Belkry, the crazy District 3 bastard. _

"_I thought we were done Belkry, why the fuck is this happening?" I call out into the blackness. _

"_Hush down Mr Wilds, the sooner we complete this, the sooner we can finish up and move on with our lives," he almost sings, his voice is that much of an echo._

"_No. no, no I'm not doing this 'controlling and changing the tributes for the better' bullshit. I've seen what you guys have done, you've turned that boy from District 2 into more of a nutcase than me, and you've done some shady shit with the girl from District 5, like, her fucking hair!? What was that? I'm willing to bet that you've messed around with the guy from 11 as well, who was he, Quinn? Yeah him, his legs weren't working, what's the bet he is all well and dandy with some bipolar disorder now?" I rant, shaking with imminent rage._

_It's a moment of silence before I finally receive a reply._

"_What the other tributes are going through is none of your concern, not that you would be concerned at all. Your job is to kill them in the arena," Edison's voice booms, piercing the silence. With those words, a buzzing noise can be heard as the darkness around me suddenly turns to a blinding white, all around me becoming swept into light. The brightness is incredibly intense, causing me to shield my eyes from the sight of whiteness._

_I wait a moment for my eyes to adjust, until finally, my eyes resist the overpowering brightness. A look at my surroundings, not that there is much to look at, it's all white. It's as if I was put outside into a complete blizzard, excluding the wind and bitter coldness of it. I wander around a couple of steps, trying not to leave my original position to far behind, not that it matters. _

"_I believe it's time to begin," says Edison, voice still echoing through my ears. I brace my eyes for another blinding occurrence, however the transition is nowhere near as bad, in fact, rather peaceful. The sound is no sudden buzz, but more so a soft breeze. The sky becomes golden and cloudy, leading me to assume it would be early morning or late afternoon. The grass is green, but not overly with such a vivid yellow sky. It looks thirsty the grass, and is about the size of my ankles._

_I spot trees in the background, tall, grey wood with similar coloured leaves to the water seeking grass. A structure in front of me, about a thirty second walk, appears to be a big golden horn, or some type of satchel. The sun reflects off of it, reminding me slightly of the brightness beforehand. The terrain reminds me of a savannah, just not as vast, hostile and dead. I even spot a lake or a watering hole a five minute travel to my diagonal right. The air has even become warmer, matching its portrayed atmosphere. It feels as if the breeze is wrapping me up in some type of heated blanket, one that had been left out in the sun for two long._

"_Is this, the arena?" I ask, still dumbfounded by what is happening._

"_Unfortunately no, this would be an advantage for you and quite unfair if you were to discover the setting of the arena mere days before the games begin! It's meant to be a surprise, so that all of you can experience it for the first time and be completely unprepared for what it may hold," Edison informs me. I note that his voice no longer sound echoed, and that it is coming from all around me, however instead it sounds immensely clear and that it is coming from the inside of my mind._

"_Then what am I doing here?" I ask exasperated, honestly just wanting to get to the point._

"_I am testing you, seeing if you are a suitable fit now that you have agreed to our terms," Edison states._

"_Terms? What terms?" I cry out beginning to get pissed off._

"_I suggest paying attention now Fletcher," Edison says quietly. I watch as in front of me, one by one, each tribute for this year appears in a flash, each one snarling and shouting at me. A sword materialises in front of me, causing me to grab the hilt._

_I wince as my ears pick up an incredibly painful noise, almost like a constant whistle in the back of my mind. I growl as I grab my ears and head, rubbing it to try and make it stop. It increases as I feel it become more prominent in my own mind. I roar as I finally shut the pain out, at least I think I do, all I feel now is a buzz deep in my ear. However, something still doesn't feel right. I don't feel in control. I feel shaky as I step to my feet, almost as if I might randomly be electrocuted at any sudden movement._

"_Excellent, we are initiated!" Edison claims triumphantly, overpowering the buzzing in my ears._

"_Let me say Mr Wilds, your mind was a lot easier to crack, I mean, it wasn't very stable to begin with, perhaps that is why we got in so easily." My eyes widen at those words I hear Edison say._

"_What? You did what so easily?" I ask, shaking in complete and utter rage._

"_Oh don't worry, you're about to find out," he says, words so venomous I can just picture his menacing grin when he says this._

"_So let's kill some kids!"_

_I gasp as I feel my body robotically moving forward, dragging the sword across the ground. I'm not doing this, I'm not in control of my actions._

"_Fletcher, kill Laelia," Edison promptly requests. I walk in front of a snarling girl, her now long black hair evident on her head, eyes curiously green with a malicious craze in them. I recognise her as the girl from District 5. Before I can do anything, my body raises the sword and swipes diagonally across her chest. She crumples onto the grass, a line of crimson etched across her chest and left breast. The grass becomes red with a puddle of the dead girls blood._

"_What are you doing? I said I would be your weapon, not that you could control me! I kill way more entertainingly than that, I will make a show for the District's and your people, I will control how it happens. I'm not going to kill your way," I say gritting my teeth._

"_Fletcher, we are doing this for your own benefit," Edison states as if his reasoning was right. _

"_Let's move on, kill Haim," Edison instructs. As my body begins walking to Laelia's right, I furiously struggle to break free of Edison's control. I close my mind as I try to block out whatever is being used to control me. My mind attempts to shift focus, away from murdering Haim, however my body keeps telling me to do so. Before I know it, I stand in front of Haim, who snarls and growls at me as much as every other tribute. In a moment's notice, my blade has severed his neck, causing his head to fly off his neck and land on the floor. As the head rolls, a trail of blood becomes visible on the ground, showing bits of tissue and veins that have become unattached from the neck. I even see a broken vertebrae in there._

_The body itself has blood squirting from the open neck, as it now lies on the floor. The sight is not at all that much to behold, seeing as I am no stranger to the delights of gore. What disturbs me more, is that my actions are currently being controlled by another source. _

"_How about we move on to Cassia?" Edison suggests, causing my body to jolt up and turn in the direction of the little District 10 girl, the one I personally despise so much. The idea of killing her energises me, in fact, it thrills me, the idea of putting her worthless life to an end. However, as appealing as that sounds to me, I cannot allow it. I put all my strength into stopping the movements that I am not controlling. I try with all my might to prevent another step being taken, or my arm raising my sword. I stand tall and looming over her, as she spits and bares her teeth at me. My muscles ache with the physical and mental power I require to stop the actions from happening._

_Just as I feel like I am going to give in to the temptation of slashing Cassia's jaw off, I feel some type of force being relieved from my body. Before I know it, the buzzing in my ears has been expelled as well. The scenery and people around me disappear, becoming the same blinding white as before. Luckily it doesn't last for long, because everything goes black._

…

This time when I open my eyes, I know I am not in some shitty dream land. I wake up in my bed, in my room, on District 9's floor. My anger is instantly at a radiating level, and I'm ready to pummel Edison Belkry right in the jaw. However as I slam open the door, I am only greeted by the presence of my Escort Ron, and my pathetic District Partner Ancora. I really look down upon her, what kind of idiot says she refuses to be a part of the games so they aren't going to do anything? That's a death wish right there.

"Ah, uh, Fletcher! It's good to see… You're finally awake," Ron rejoices nervously.

"Where the fuck is that weasel Edison?" I spit, looking around wildly for a sign of the mole looking scumbag.

"W-who?" Ron stutters, nervous in my presence as he normally is. I roll my eyes with impatience.

"You know who I'm talking about, the former mayor of 3, current Vice Head Gamemaker, Edison Belkry," I say, cracking my knuckles.

"Oh! Mr Belkry! I believe he is preparing for the Private Sessions with the other Gamemakers, speaking of which…" Ron starts to talk about. He squeaks when I slam my fist onto the table, hard enough I'm surprised I don't leave a crack in the cool glass sheet. I realise I am shaking in rage at the complete fury that I have become victim to. At the suspense of the table banging, Ancora looks up at me, giving me one hell of a greasy look.

"Watch it dickhead, you'll punch a hole through the damn table," she shoots at me. Just this little incident is enough to snap me out of my rage and promptly laugh at the skinny red headed twig.

"Are you serious right now? You don't want to get on the wrong side of me Ancora. You don't want a vendetta on your head, like the little bitch from 10 does, what's her name, Cassia? Something stupid like that, either way, she is a dead girl, do you really want to be another one?" I ask, threatening her. Unlike most people, Ancora doesn't do as much as flinch, yet alone back down in an instant. She simply stands up, walks up to me, and spits in my face.

Having just been spat on, it doesn't register to me that quickly. I'm honestly too shocked that she even dared to do it. As I wipe the white, frothy saliva from my eyes, I look down at her to see her smirking triumphantly. Seeing her face is what brings me back to my senses that she just spat in my face, and that she thinks she is above me. I wipe the saliva on a napkin that just happens to have remained untouched on the table. I then turn back to her, having enough sense to say one thing.

"I gave you your chance," I say through clenched teeth.

"Know you've landed yourself a place on death's door." She doesn't even see my fist coming, so she has no time to block my incoming punch. My fist collides with her nose, causing me to feel the crunch of her bone underneath it. She reaches up to hold her nose, giving me the chance to belt her in the jaw. She gets knocked to the side, landing on her knees and still trying to stifle the bleeding and the pain. I then take a big swing and kick her in the temple, causing her to most likely have a concussion. She lies sprawled on the floor, knocked out with a trail of blood coming from both her nose and mouth.

I make sure to bend down, so my face is just above hers, and spit a large glob of saliva onto her face, making sure the saliva is extra phlegmy. Ron cries out in horror at the fiasco that has just taken place.

"No, no, no, I have to call for help," Ron whimpers. I roll my eyes at just how pathetic Ron is.

"I'm going down to the Private Sessions, you get her fixed up, I want her to be whole when I kill her in the arena," I growl, before clambering over to the elevator. I push the button, thankfully not having to wait to long for the doors to open. I am lucky when I enter for there to be nobody in it. That's good, I'm not in the mood to have little kids stare at me, or think they are brave enough to spit in my face.

The elevator drops fast, and I see the main lobby approach through the crystal glass that I stand on. The familiar feeling of a churning stomach arises as I go past it and drop even further into the building. The button representing the training room lights up, signifying that I have arrived at the training floor. As soon as the doors open, I am escorted by a group of Peacekeepers, nothing new with that. Each time I have gone into a public space I have had to go accompanied by others. They just can't seem to trust me, although it makes sense with my history, and the fact I currently have blood all over my hands. I don't know if word would have reached them yet that I just knocked the lights out of Ancora, however I still hide my hands just in case, as I don't want to be stalled. I need to see Edison.

The room I am taken to is completely new to me. It doesn't seem all that new to the other Tributes. As I pass most of them, I hear there whispers and mutterings, sense their fear of just being in my presence. The girl from 12 appears absolutely terrified, Danix from 4 stumbles back into his own District partner, who turns around in annoyance. When she sees me, her eyes widen and she turns back to her ally, the girl from 12. I remember the girl from 4, Rhode I think. Seeing her makes me remember some of the events that happened in the final room of the Hunt Trial, when I was blinded by rage. I briefly remember grabbing both her and Cassia, choosing to eliminate Cassia over her. So she must have been one of the winners.

I sit down on a bench, luckily for me it is accompanied by nobody else. I notice that above the door I entered from, a label reads 'THE DOCK'. I've heard them speak about this place, this is where they all went before the Pillar Trial, and the Hunt Trial.

As I look around the room, I think I see that all the tributes are here, except for Ancora of course. Most of the tributes have died down, each one silently waiting for the Gamemaker's to speak. It's about five minutes before a voice speaks to all of us. It sounds like a very relaxed female voice, one that should be explaining plane safety instructions or something. I listen to what she has to say.

"_Good afternoon Tributes. You have reached the Private Session's, where each one of you will be able to showcase your greatest abilities, or what you have learnt here in the Capitol, over the past three days of intense and vigorous training. Your name and District will be read out, and that will be the order that you will complete your Private Session. Once I have called your name, you are to step into this tube right here, and will be transported down to the training floor below,"_

The tube she is talking about is some pod like machine, looking like it is some human preservation machine. It lights up when she refers to it, causing everyone's head to turn to it.

"_Once in the training centre, you are expected to showcase the Gamemaker's whatever you want to show them, preferably what could impress them the most. You will be awarded a number from 1 to 12, 1 being an almost impossible chance of survival, and a 12 being victor material. These scores will help you to get sponsors, people that are willing to donate money to you and give you gifts and needs in the arena. We here at the Capitol wish you the best of luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour," _the voice finishes off. Everyone remains silent as we absorb the information just gifted to us. The silence is once again broken by the woman, who says one line.

"_District 1, Haim Peridot." _ The muscular boy from District 1 stands up, whooping and rubbing his hands together. The wild look of excitement is very evident in his eyes as he steps into the tube, the door sliding shut behind him. Through the glass door, we see him get lowered until he is no longer in sight.

The waiting time after that is quite unbearable. It's not that I'm nervous to do the Private Sessions, but it's so incredibly… boring. The time between each name is on average about 15 minutes long. Every now and then, you would hear a scream from below, sometimes even applause from the Gamemaker's. The most entertaining part would honestly have to be watching each tribute before they go in.

Theia is silent, giving death stares to anyone that looks at her as she passes them. She just steps inside and crosses her arms, looking deadly and ready to slit someone's throat at a moment's notice. She is one of the few Tributes I actually hold respect for.

Nero the nutcase has to be contained as he is shoved into the tube. I'm guessing he hasn't been put on his sedatives, perhaps so he can show the full extent of his abilities in this state, because I sure doubt that he is going to have sedatives in the arena.

Ladonna, the big girl from District 2 lumbers over to the tube. Honestly she is almost as big as me, and she is massive. Despite her evident towering physique, she still appears to hold a nervous attitude.

About fifteen minutes later, the woman calls for Dayta Owens, the timid boy from District 3. Just the thought of District 3 angers me, all thanks to Edison Belkry. Dayta doesn't show much nervousness, his stride actually making him appear pretty confident. I guess he isn't someone that gets stagefright. About five minutes into his session, multiple booms and explosions can be heard down below, followed by an immense round of applause from the Gamemaker's. All the Tributes glance around at each other in alarm, all except for Liesel. She just raises her eyebrow and shakes her head.

Following Dayta, Liesel was called, not really revealing how she felt at all. Her time lasted the average fifteen minutes, and finally after her, Danix was called.

It was around this time when the door to the Dock opened and escorted inside was Ancora. I prepared myself to be escorted away, but before I knew it the Peacekeepers had left. Weird, shouldn't I be getting punished right now? It seems like Ancora herself may have forgotten what happened at all. As she scans the room, her eyes pass me without a second glance, and when asked by the District 11 girl why she was so late, she responds with a simple "I can't remember."

Even if she has forgotten about our little 'engagement', that is in no way stopping her from getting ripped to shreds by me.

Eventually, the woman finally calls for Libra Spindle, and I know I am next. I watch patiently as Libra passes me, with a great distance, and carefully steps into the tube. I examine her face, and can spot some beads of sweat beginning to form. I don't know what she is worried about. She hasn't seem to have picked up on it, but to the Capitol and all of the Tributes, minus me, she is the most attractive girl out of the lot. I've even heard her been referred to as the 'God of Beauty'. All she has to do to get a 12 is strip down in front of the Gamemaker's, in fact, the slut probably will.

Even now, most of the guys remaining stare at her as she disappears down the tube. I shake my head, thinking of what idiots they are. Thinking with their dicks aren't going to win them the Hunger Games.

As the time ticks nearer, I start cracking my knuckles, and stretching my muscles. I see Whent look at me in horror as I crack both sides of my neck. About five minutes later, I finally hear it.

"_District 9, Fletcher Wilds," _coos the woman. I stand up and step forward towards the tube. The door slides open and the light flashes on as I take a step into the tube. It isn't very large, so it would suck to be claustrophobic right now. The door closes and I stare at all the spineless Tributes that look at me. Most look away, embarrassed, while Cassia continues to stare at me. All I do is raise a finger to my throat, and make a slicing motion, making her gasp and glance away.

I begin to descend, arriving on the floor of the training centre quickly enough. The door slides open and I am greeted by the familiarly massive room. It is vastly empty of people, making it seem a lot larger than before. As I walk out, I spot all the stations, racks full of sharp weapons, polished to shine. I see the usual dummies for target practice, looking brand new. I assume they are brand new since many would have been destroyed by the Tributes that were previously in here.

I reach the centre of the room, standing in front of all the Gamemaker's. There are quite a few of them, wearing purple robes with blood red accents. The person in the centre of them sticks out to me most. Wearing a navy blue robe with blood red accents, is none other than Jonah Welsh, the man behind everything. He sits there observing me, smiling with a smug attitude. Next to him I notice, in royal blue robes with the same blood red accents, is that bastard Edison Belkry. My expression hardens, as I see him smirking at me.

"You. You son of a whoring bitch," I growl at him, instantly grabbing a spear from my right, a long sleek one with a satin black body. As I begin to take aim at him, they all leap into chaos, except Welsh. I shout as I launch the spear at Edison, only to be disappointed when it gets lodged into some glass like structure, shielding all of them.

"You see, Mr Wilds, there is a force field guarding us from people like you," Welsh states lazily as he goes to sip on some wine.

"Well, Mr Welsh, or whatever you District 0 scumbag want to be called, people like him don't deserve to live!" I spit furiously. Most of the Gamemaker's gasp in shock and disgust at the name I just called their home. Some even look outraged and begin whispering to one another.

Welsh on the other hand, simply raises his hand until all of them are silent. He examines me for a moment, only to chuckle and nod his head.

"I like this one Edison, he has fire to him," he comments, stroking his chin.

"Yes Mr Vice President, he was the one I was telling you about," Edison says timidly. At those words, Welsh's eyes widen in recognition.

"Ah, is it?" Welsh responds, leaning forward.

"It sure is sir, we have only got one problem, he doesn't follow orders exactly," Edison states.

"What do you mean by that?" Welsh asks.

"Well, he um… Broke out of our body control program," he tries to say subtly. This causes quite a few more murmurs from the other Gamemaker's. Welsh raises his hand again to quieten them down.

"I don't see what the problem is Belkry," Welsh says confused.

"We won't be able to control him," he responds. Welsh stares at Belkry and shakes his head.

"Why would we want to control him?" Welsh says standing up. Each Gamemaker looks down, perhaps being too afraid to answer, including Belkry.

"We want to give a show for our people, we want to show the District's punishment, this young man right here, as perfect for the job! He would do it off his own accord, and make a damn good and suspenseful show to watch. I've watched him during training, he is a monster, he will crush all of those Tributes with his bare hands," Welsh say with an excited exasperation.

"So tell me now, why would we want to control him?" Welsh asks, looming over a disgraced looking Belkry.

"We don't?" Edison squeaks.

"Exactly. Boy, show us what you can do," Welsh instructs me.

"Gladly," I say as I grab a sword and begin walking towards the dummies.

"Wait," says Welsh, stopping me in my tracks.

"Do it on a _real _person," Welsh says sinisterly. My eyes widen at this request. They are allowing me to kill a real person? Well it's about time.

My head turns to the elevator as they open, showing a group of Peacekeepers and a frightened looking boy, about 18 years old. He shouts as they drag him on the floor towards me, eventually tying him to an empty weapons rack. He appears dirty, in fact, filthy. I would say it's been a solid few months since he last watched. His hair is a very dark black, skin tone a pale complexion underneath all the dirt and grime. His pale blue eyes are sparkling with tears, as he tries not to cry.

"Mr Wilds, you know a particular Haor Metchell?" Welsh asks, hands behind his back.

"Yes," I say gruffly, still trying to work out who this kid is. Haor was the leader of the rebels, a District 6 common man risen to power and bent on defeating the Capitol. He is dead though, killed in the Sacking of District 6. I look back at the kid tied up next to me, sobbing incredulously. It's when I do this, that my mind makes the connection.

"Have you ever been introduced to his son, Ferin Metchell?" Welsh asks, smile becoming ever increasingly sinister.

"No, I never have," I reply, beginning to play along.

"Well, why don't you introduce yourself?" Welsh suggests. I then look at Ferin and grin similarly to Welsh, dropping my sword and instead grabbing a belt of knives.

"Gladly."

**Remember guys check out- Death Under the Sky (SYOT) by Paradigm of Writing**


	24. Haim: Mute Encounters

**Author's Note:**

**So this was meant to come out yesterday, but my laptop refused to work so I couldn't complete it unfortunately. But, it's out now! And we are on the last stretch towards the Games! If you still did not know, I put the names of the next 9 chapters on my profile, as well as when I expect to release them. The last chapter mentioned is right before the games, underneath the arena. So let's hope I can stick to that schedule and get to the games!**

**I would like to thank everyone that submitted to Paradigm's SYOT, it is very much appreciated! The submissions for it have now closed thanks to the filling of each spot so I am sorry if you were interested in submitting to that. Feel free to go over and start reading it if you want. Anyways, let's begin the chapter!**

**Haim Peridot, 18, D1:**

I make sure to flaunt my handling skills with the spear as I stride forward to place it back on the weapons rack. I feel somewhat sad as my hand parts the sleek metal hilt for what will be the last time in the Capitol. I mean, yes I'll be getting a spear or two when I grab my utensils at the beginning of the games, however I've just become so attached to it over these past three days of training, that it upsets me having to leave it.

As I stroll past the Gamemaker's, I take one last look at the lot of them. Some greet my stare with a curt nod, while others swiftly jot down notes on my performance. They might as well just give me my score of 12 this moment, why do they have to wait? I suppose it will probably be worth the wait when I get to see the look on Theia's face when I beat her score of an average 8.

My eyes meet Head Gamemaker Jonah Welsh's, the two of us observing each other for a brief moment before he turns away to speak to the Vice Gamemaker. I honestly think that Welsh realises I will be the Victor and he probably knows we will have to get acquainted with each other. Why not start early?

I find my eyes land on the ATZ, or the Advanced Targeting Zone. It makes a loud humming sound with a few clanks here and there as it lowers back into the ground. We were not permitted to use the ATZ during normal training sessions, mainly due to the inexperience of most tributes. However those that wished to attempt using the machines were highly encouraged.

I myself have become very familiar and accustomed with the ATZ. Back in District 1, they would be the main form of training for new recruits to the military. Of course, those ones were rather lacklustre and easy to adjust to. The more developed and more challenging ones were for those that have conquered the regular ATZ's. I'm pretty sure that District 6 had tonnes of them in each of their rebel bases. Probably not anymore though.

The Capitol ones, are much more advanced. After all, they have District 3 programming shit for them left, right and centre. Then again, the Capitol have always been undeniably advanced.

I leave the Training Room as they will be wanting me to clear out so they can move onto Theia, not that she will have anything to show them. Maybe she'll flash them and get a few lust points. She could even go the extra mile and sleep with Welsh, grab herself an undeserved 12. I shake my head to rid my thoughts of Theia, she pisses me off enough being in my presence, she can leave my thoughts alone.

I stop outside the elevator, noticing the presence of the two people standing by the side of it. I vaguely recognise their red uniform to be one of the servants. I think they were called an Avox or something along those lines. I never took much notice to them before, mainly because they were only ever around to serve. They never speak, they make their presence miniscule while in the room with more prominent people such as my Escort Heath or even Theia, mainly because we are pre occupied by shit talking each other.

But now that I am alone, I cannot help but notice the two Avox's as they stand eerily and silent, staring ahead with their hands behind their back. To my left stands a girl, and to my right a man. The man appears to be in his early forties, or late thirties. His hair line is on the brink of receding, what remains of it proving to be thick and chocolate brown in colour. His face is gaunt, pale as can be and bares several scars. His body stands tall, however shows to be particularly skinny, likely sure to malnourishment.

I step up to him, staring into his lifeless and sorrow filled black eyes. To be exact, they are a brown so dark they appear black. He looks back at me, almost as if he is trying to tell me something with his eyes. It's almost as if he is sending daggers at me with his resentful stare.

"Tell me, why do you servants never speak?" I ask quietly. I expect him to feebly say why, confess that they are poor excuses for human beings and that he doesn't deserve to have the privilege of speech. However he continues to stare at me, almost like he is threatening to knock me down.

"Tell me. Now!" I growl at him, hoping to make him flinch. Again, he holds no response. This is really pissing me off. He should be kneeling to my every command. I am a future Victor, he has no place left in this world.

I punch the wall directly next to his head. I certainly expect him to bend down in fear, yet he still refuses to move.

"If you don't inform me this instant on why you people don't speak, I will punish you for already disobeying me twice!" I bellow. I don't expect anything this time. Why would he if he hasn't spoken already? To my delight, he blinks before opening his mouth. I gasp when I see the contents of his mouth, or should I say the absence of contents. I burst out laughing as I see a gaping hole with a stub for where his tongue used to be.

He shuts his mouth, looking purely outraged as he stares at me laughing at him. It takes a moment to recover from my outburst of laughter, I even have to wipe a tear away from my eye.

"You pathetic excuse for a human being," I manage to get out, still chortling.

"I didn't realise you guys are mute! That's fantastic, you are completely helpless," I comment. The Avox, or should I say the Mute, is tensed up in a bottled type of rage. My smirk becomes incredibly evident when I get an idea.

"Unfortunately, you did disobey my orders the first two times," I say sinisterly. He continues watching me as he stands still against the wall.

"However, you do not deserve someone like me to punish you. You deserve someone as worthless as you," I continue on. My head turns to the girl Avox, the one that stands on the left side of the elevator. She appears to be about twenty or so, has long white blonde hair, a petite and snowy face, and exhilaratingly blue eyes. Her cheeks are rosy, and very appear very soft like babies skin. Her lips are full and pink, the lower one she bites as her eyes dart to me. I must say, she is undeniably attractive, almost like a combination of Theia and Libra, except a tad older.

"You," I say, motioning with my hand for her to come over. She steadily walks over until she is by my side. I raise my hand and caress her smooth cheek. Her shocking static eyes stare at me in terror, I almost swear I can hear her whimper.

"Kick him, right in his testicles," I order. She jolts at the order I give her, eyes beginning to water. She lets out a deep breath through her nose, and steps in front of the Avox man. She trembles there in front of him, her eyes seeming as though they are trying to apologise to him.

"Now," I say, louder than before. She then goes on to slam her foot into the man's most vulnerable spot. He attempts to cry out, but is incapable of doing so. Instead, he releases some wail of an injured animal, dropping to his knees and shortly after, the floor. He holds his testes as he rocks back and forth in the fetal position.

My enjoyment of this is cut briefly as the girl the falls to her knees, sobbing and uttering continuous strains of apologies. I'm momentarily surprised and rather dumbfounded as I listen to the girl who supposedly has her tongue cut out, beg for forgiveness from her fellow Avox. It's a moment before I realise what is going on.

I grab the girls shoulder and swiftly turn her around. Her mouth is agape, mid-sentence, showing two rows of pearly white teeth, and a rather healthy looking tongue. She stares at me in horror, realising what she has just revealed, instantly raising her hand to her mouth in shock.

"What is your name?' I ask. She sniffles as she wipes her eyes of the salty tears she sheds.

"Orea," she says timidly. Her voice sounds husky, like the words she speaks are cut off by a sudden force.

"Would you mind telling me just how the fuck you still have your tongue?" I ask as I cross my arms. She takes a moment to answer, before deciding that she has already been caught.

"They made a mistake, they thought I had already had my tongue taken out. I got away with it," she admits, looking down. I am slightly impressed. The fact that she got away without having to have her tongue removed is very slim, yet she managed to do just that.

"Well, Orea, you have broken a rule by speaking, so I'm going to have to report you to the Peacekeepers," I say.

"No! Please, don't do that, they'll kill me! Please spare me," she pleads, her eyes shining with tears. I pause for a moment, deciding on the route to take. I could instantly screw her over now. However, what do I gain from that? On the other hand, I could get something from saving her.

"Okay. I will not tell anyone. On one condition," I tell her. She looks up at me, her eyes giving me every bit of attention.

"What is that?" Orea asks. I bend down until my head is level with hers. I get right up close to her ear as I whisper exactly what the condition is. As I stand back up, her eyes go wide at the information.

"Okay," she meekly responds, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear. It's at this moment when I hear the door open from behind me. I turn around to see who has intruded on the situation.

"Haim? What the fuck are you still doing here?" Theia hisses. Her eyes lower to the Avox man who still recovers from his punishment.

"And what the fuck did you do?" She asks pointing at the Avox. Before I can respond, her eyes widen in surprise as she looks to my left.

"Orea?" She asks, completely surprised.

"What?" I ask, confused by what she said.

"That Avox girl, that's Orea," Theia states as she walks over. I raise my eyebrows in confusion.

"How do you know who she is?" I ask challenging her.

"Because, she used to go to school with us," she says, stopping in front of Orea.

"Huh?" I respond. Theia rolls her eyes in annoyance.

"You're such an idiot, she is from District 1!" Theia shouts at me. I stare at Orea, trying to remember her from the years I went to school, or perhaps just seeing her about the District. I know many of the girls from District 1, mainly since I have married so many and fucked even more. Right now I'm currently married to two girls named Cara and Glade. They mother three of my children, Pearl, Harlem, and Jewelle. God knows how many other bastards I am father too, I know none of them and I'm sure many of them are either dead or somewhere in the District.

However, I do not remember ever fucking Orea, nor even meeting her. I shake my head to confirm that I have absolutely no idea what she is talking about. Theia huffs and presses the button to the elevator.

"I wonder how you became an Avox, too bad you can't speak," Theia says to Orea, who flits her eyes to me in a panic. She thinks I might blow her cover. I honestly could, but again, what would that gain me? Instead, as Theia steps into the elevator, I mouth the words 'remember the deal', going on to follow Theia into the elevator.

I'm expecting Theia to question me further about what just happened, however I am greeted by the sweet relief of silence. She makes sure to stand as far away from me as possible, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. Luckily the trip to the District 1 floor isn't very long.

The doors open to present to us the peaceful living room of our floor. Heath sits at the table, a hot mug in one hand and a glass sheet the size of a piece of paper in the other. Images can be seen on the glass as he scrolls down on it, revealing more images and text. I don't know how they do it, putting some type of interface onto a sheet of glass. Heath usually holds this glass tablet to look at the news, mainly to see what the Capitol are saying about the Tributes.

He is accompanied by both Theia's and my Stylist. Theia's stylist, Kite sits on the plush sofa that stretches across the room. He watches the enormous curved screen that is the TV, showing some program about yet again, us tributes. My stylist, Loren also sits on the sofa, a glass of red liquid which I have come to learn is wine perched in her right hand.

Heath looks up as we enter the room, Theia striding past me to presumably get away from me. She sits in the middle of the long lounge, however moving even further away when I sit in the large space between her and Loren.

Loren turns her attention to us and smiles.

"How did you guys go?" Heath asks, pulling up a chair closer to the sofa.

"Fine," Theia promptly responds. I hope that means she went terribly.

"I went great, the Gamemaker's looked really impressed, they probably know I'm going to win the Hunger Games," I say, stretching my legs and resting them on the glass coffee table. Theia glares at me before shaking her head and examining her nails.

"You'll see, when I get my score of 12, then that basically seals my win. The other tributes will be too terrified to even face me in the arena. Doesn't matter what they think, they won't be living for much longer," I snort, taking a glass of water from one of the Avox's that stand nearby. I am instantly reminded of Orea and her fellow Avox.

"Well, I guess it's good to see that you're confident," Kite says rolling his eyes.

"Shut your mouth Kite, just because you don't get to style the prodigy tribute, doesn't mean you have to be a sore ass about it all the time," I bite at him. Just like Theia, he shakes his head and pays attention to the TV.

"Will you be willing to reveal what you did?" Heath asks. Revealing what I did for my Private Session could have a number of effects, both positive and negative. For one I would be telling Theia what I did and that could be revealing any skills or secrets that I hold dear and would like to keep a surprise. But then I think that all I did during the Private Sessions is what I did during training. Theia being the type of person she is likely already has taken note of what I can do. She wants to kill me after all.

"I'm going to win anyway so why the fuck not? I used the ATZ," I say crossing my arms proudly. Heath nods in approval as Loren claps in excitement.

"The ATZ huh? That's definitely an effective way of showing your array of skills in combat. Did you find it difficult in anyway?" Heath asks.

"Pfft, no. I've been training with an ATZ for most of my life. I know that thing like the back of my hand!" I exclaim. Before Heath can respond, Theia begins to groan. Louder and louder until she formulates words.

"Shut the fuck up! You're so cocky! You're not going to win, you are going to die a slow and painful death by my hands. Your cockiness will be your downfall," Theia unleashes. My face begins to go red, the heat becoming increasingly hot. My fists clench hard to prevent me from attacking Theia in the instant. My anger feels as if it's radiating into the room, filling up the space of oxygen. I stand up, fists by my side and muscles tensed in readiness.

"Oh you want it to go down like that bitch? Well how is that going to happen when I kill you before we get to that arena?!" I shout at her, flecks of saliva hitting her face. This time, she stands up as well, making full eye contact so deadly it could be poisonous.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you. Trust me I will make sure it is unbearably slow, and it is incredibly painful," she hisses, eyes squinted to get her point across.

"I don't think I will kill you before the arena. It'll be much more worth it to have the whole of Panem watch me destroy your entire existence, and I will make it so enjoyable for them to watch," I retort.

"Bastard! I'll fucking kill you!" she screams. Theia raises her fist and attempts to punch me in the face, however I grab her fist. She is raising her other arm when Heath finally manages to step in.

"The two of you, stop it now!" he roars, pushing us both apart. Theia falls back onto the couch while I stand, still fuming as I stare at her.

"You two can kill each other in the arena, I can't stop you from doing that there," Heath says brushing off his shirt.

"But I will not have you two damage each other before the games have even begun."

"He doesn't deserve to live," Theia spits, crossing her arms defiantly. I slowly sit back down on the couch, refusing to break eye contact with her.

"Theia will you be willing to tell us what you did for your Private Session?" Heath asks softly.

"Fuck no! Not while he is around," she replies, looking at me.

"The slut probably stripped for them," I mutter. Theia sends an incredibly greasy stare at me, so I poke my tongue at her. She then goes onto to flip her middle finger at me and look back at Heath. I huff and stand up, also turning to Heath.

"I'm going to have a shower, and get ready before they show the scores," I grunt. Nobody says a word as I depart from the living room and enter the hallway where our rooms are located. Mine is on the right side, while Theia's is on the left. Even though it's not Theia, I still death stare her bedroom door as I open my own.

My room is tidier than this morning, the bed has been made and the various articles of clothing have been picked off the ground and most likely washed. The question pricks the back of my mind wondering if it was perhaps Orea that cleaned my room. I scratch that thought when I consider just how many Avox's the Capitol would own. It was likely just some random Avox woman.

I strip out of my training clothes for the last time. I won't be training again in the Capitol, whether it be because I die or I win. Could I die? I've been incredibly confident during the entirety of my time here. In fact as soon as I raised my hand to volunteer I knew this was my chance to spill blood once more and become victorious again.

What Theia said, that I'm too cocky, and that it'll be the death of me, I can't help but wonder if I have made a mistake. No, I couldn't have, I wanted to come here to kill again. No matter who it is, spilling blood is what I enjoy most.

I turn on the TV as I get ready for my shower. As I scroll through the channels, I realise that almost all of them are about the Hunger Games, the Tributes, and betting odds. I pass Channel 68 which I remember to be a Tribute Tower exclusive. Right now all it shows is the newly created Capitol Seal, flashing and glowing with the Capitol Anthem softly blaring to accompany it.

I land on Channel 75, apparently the most popular channel in the Capitol. As I take off my socks, I watch as a middle aged man, maybe in his early thirties, hosting a talk show with the topic being us, as usual. The man has very white skin, which I think appears to be powder. His smile is also extremely toothy, his teeth being so shiny and pearly white that they glow against his already exceptionally white skin. His eyes are a yellowy gold while his hair and lips are a shiny and shimmering bronze.

The man, or Midas Heirloom as he calls himself, talks about what he will be wearing tomorrow night as he gives the interview. I feel like I should know what he is talking about, but I cannot pin point exactly what.

"What do you think everyone? Gold, or Cyan?" he calls out to the crowd. He makes a big show of holding his hand up to his ear as the crowd roars a mixture of colours from Gold to Cyan to even colours he didn't mention like Salmon, Orange and Crimson.

"I'm hearing a lot of Gold! I think Gold is the final answer!" Midas shouts to the roaring crowd.

"When I interview the Tribute's, I'll wear Gold to represent the beginning of the Games!" he says, taking a bow. That's when I realise what he is talking about. He is the person that will be interviewing us Tributes. Interesting, he is sure going to have a fun time interviewing the Rebels.

I turn off the TV and take off my underpants, leaving me completely nude. I turn the shower on and let the warm water spray my abdomen. I sigh in relief as the water trickles down my body, soon covering me head to toe. This is one of the things I can get used to. According to Welsh, when I have won the Games, I will be inclined to come back to the Capitol each year with Heath. I will apparently mentor each one of my tributes until District 1 gets another Victor, where I will have someone else to mentor with me.

Once we get more than three, I'll have some years off, and can watch the games in a private building for the Escorts and Victors. I'll definitely be living the lifestyle I deserve.

I increase the strength of the water, so it hits my body harder. I let the stream of droplets hit my back in the places that contain knots. Once the knots have been removed, I press a button that changes the scent of the water. I change it to the smell of a spicy sort of scent, almost like a sweet cinnamon.

Once I have cleaned myself, I turn off the shower, the smell of cinnamon still lingering. That would be because the scented water acts as a cologne or a perfume with girls. I step out of the shower, and before a drop of water can fall of my body, I am instantly blow dried by an intense gust of air.

I simply run my fingers through the front of my hair, a dab of gel making it stick up the way it usually does. When I walk out of the bathroom, I realise something is wrong.

"Shit," I say as I look at the alarm clock. 10:28, the Training Scores are televised at 10:30. I frantically grab a white shirt and try and get it on quickly, all the while Heath calls my name from outside of the door.

"Haim, Scores start now, hurry up," Heath calls.

"I fucking know," I shout back as I get a pair of black sweatpants on. Before can Heath leave, I open the door and burst out, knocking him out of the way. My score is shown first, I don't want to miss my 12!

I leap over the sofa and land on the soft cushion of it. Theia sighs when I arrive, however I am not at all interested by how she reacts to me entering the room. The screen shows the same guy from before, Midas Heirloom. He sits with a blue back ground and the Capitol Seal implemented into it. This time there is no anthem, just subtle and dramatic music. I take notice that the show is on Channel 75. That means the whole of Panem is definitely watching, not just the Tribute Tower.

"Good Evening Panem, I am your favourite news caster, Midas Heirloom. Tonight, I am here to present to you the final scores given about the Tribute's by the Gamemaker's. Just a reminder, the score is from 1-12, 1 obviously being dead last, and 12 being absolutely phenomenal. We shall begin, now," Midas says, grinning at the camera.

"Why does he look like a ventriloquist dummy?" Theia asks bluntly.

"Let's go," Heath says rubbing his hands together, completely ignoring what Theia said.

My eyes light up when the flash my picture on the screen. Theia pretends to gag.

"First up, from District 1 we have Haim Peridot. A promising young man riddled with talent and with a lust for combat, he receives…"

"A 12!" I say prematurely.

"A 10," says Midas, shaking his head as a big number 10 flashes below my picture. My jaw drops in disbelief.

"What!? Are you fucking kidding me? Only a 10," I shout, standing up and almost tearing out my hair in anger.

"Haim, a 10 is still a really good score," Heath says, trying to calm me down.

"Absolute bullshit," I mutter darkly as I sit back down on the sofa.

"Next is also from District 1, Theia Cartelle," Midas says. Theia perks up and fixates her attention to the TV.

"A feisty young warrior ready for anything, she receives a score of… 10." Both Theia and I leap to our feet, Theia in celebration, and me in complete and utter rage.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" I scream, my voice going higher in exasperation.

"I really got the same score as her?"

"Yes Haim, settle down you've both done well," Heath says rolling his eyes. I grit my teeth in anger.

"She isn't meant to go well, I'm meant to get a 12!" I bellow.

"Too fucking bad, you suck, so sit the fuck down," Theia shouts at me. My mouth is pursed tightly as I have to restrain myself from the anger I feel right now. I silently sit back down, fuming beyond belief.

"Now we have District 2, Nero Koeing, a ferocious boy that lacks control, with a score of 7," Midas says. That makes sense. I can imagine that they were impressed by how much power and aggression he can show, but he also has no way of controlling it. For him, I would say that is pretty good.

"Wasn't that the guy that had Cancer?" Loren asks.

"Yes, he was healed though," Heath replies.

"He wasn't healed," Theia says solemnly. Heath looks at her confused.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Well, sure he was healed of Cancer, but there is something different about him now. He is some kind of monster," she explains.

"Oh, I wonder why that is," Heath says quickly. I eye Heath as he looks back at the TV screen. That was weird.

"Next we have District 2, Ladonna Gully, a capable girl who holds back, with a score of 6," Midas says, not as enthusiastic as the earlier ones. I remember her. I remember her well. The one the intervened my interaction with the little turd from District 12. She punched me in the stomach while holding me in a headlock. Just the memory of that makes my blood boil. Thankfully she only got a measly 6, she deserves nothing more, not even that 6 now that I think about it.

"Moving onto Dayta Owens from District 3, a very intelligent young man, with a score of 6."

Interesting, only a 6 from the highly intelligent boy from District 3… Something seems up here.

"If he only got a 6 and he is that intelligent, the Gamemaker's must be a fan of combat and weaponry," Heath suggests. Perhaps, but I'm still not buying it. I find it unlikely that he only got a 6.

"Now moving onto Liesel Varner from District 3, an unpredictable and entertaining girl with a score of 9," Midas says enthusiastically. None of us flinch at Liesel's 9. It's not that surprising, she did somehow win the Pillar Trial after all. Either way, I got a higher score than her, nothing to feel threatened by.

"Next up is from District 4, Danix Bait, a quiet and ambitious young man, with a score of 6," Midas applauds. Heath is surprised by this one.

"He looks capable of so much more!" he says in bewilderment.

"Well, he hasn't shown much at training, maybe he is still holding back?" Theia suggests.

"There have been quite a few 6's," Kite says, scratching his chin. 3 out of 7 scores revealed so far have been a 6, he isn't wrong.

"Following up we have Rhode Nerida, a secretive and driven girl, with a score of 11," Midas says in excitement. Instead of getting riled up like before, the room is completely silent. Even I am just in complete shock as I stare at the 11 underneath Rhode's picture.

"How, in the world?" Heath asks, completely dumbfounded.

"Now onto District 5! First we have Minho Lyun, a combatant and fierce wound man, with a score of 10!" Midas says, impressed at that score.

"Oh this is rigged, not only does Theia get the same score as me, and some bitch gets an 11, but Theia's boyfriend gets fucking 10 as well?" I say in bewilderment.

"He isn't my boyfriend!" Theia snarls at me. I laugh back at her.

"Don't try that shit, I saw your eyes light up when he got a 10, I saw what you did during the Pillar Trial, I also heard you getting up in the middle of the night a couple of nights ago, what was that for? To go see fucking Minho?" I yell at her. She opens her mouth, but only splutters and goes red, turning away and brining her knees up to her face.

"Stop lying, you love him and you know it," I hiss at her. She begins to speak, however Heath interrupts her.

"Shush, he's saying the next score!" Heath hushes.

"Now for Laelia Webber from District 5, an energised young woman, with a score of 6," Midas says. Meh, nothing special. I think she is allied with Danix, so they both got the same score.

"District 6, Aramid Vicuna, with a score of 7," Midas says. I guess the Gamemaker's didn't give him a message, maybe they started having a little too much alcohol.

"Also from District 6, Hera Loughbrook, with a score of 7!" It crosses my thoughts that the Gamemaker's might be purposefully giving the radical United members a mediocre score. Even though I'm not a fan of them, at all, I do feel the ones getting 6's and 7's are much more capable of getting a better score than that.

"Now we have District 7, Atlas Verdini, with a score of 9," Midas says, shaking his head in approval. Well, that's definitely a better score than most of the United.

"Phionex Blast, also from District 7, with a score of 6," Midas informs us. From what I've seen of Phionex, I would have thought she would get about a 9.

"Crossing over to District 8, Rexx Kerdom." Out of the corner of my eye I see Theia tense up.

"With a solid score of 10!" This time it's Theia that has a tantrum.

"Are you kidding? How does he get a 10?! Ugh I will kill him!" she shouts.

"What's wrong princess? Upset that your mortal enemy got the same score as you?" I ask making my lips pucker to look as if I'm sad. She turns to me, looking extremely pissed off.

"No, you're my mortal enemy," she snarls at me.

"Still got the same score as you," I grin. She stares daggers at me as I smirk and turn back to the screen.

"Ah would you look at that, the hot bitch from 8 got a 7," I say pointing at the screen which shows Libra with the score of 7. That's actually kind of surprising, I didn't think she would get higher than 5. Perhaps she did strip after all.

The screen changes. Now it shows a picture of Fletcher.

"From District 9! Fletcher Wilds, with a score of… 12!" Loren puts her face in her hands while Heath wipes his brow. Theia, Kite and I watch the TV solemnly. Staring at the number 12 underneath the photograph of Fletcher, who leers at us through the screen.

"Well then…" Kite says, trailing off when he has nothing else to say.

"Oh god," Loren whimpers as her hands uncover her face, showing it to be flushed with pink.

"Now for Ancora Siegle, with a score of 1," Midas says flatly. That causes some relief in the room, or maybe just a distraction.

"Only a 1? How bad do you have to be?" Heath snorts.

"I'm willing to bet that she just stood there with her two middle fingers held up," I say shrugging.

"Moving on to District 10. Vince Rojarze, with a score of 8," Midas says. Now it's back to giving United members mediocre scores.

"Next is Cassia Summers, with a score of 5." Honestly, more than I was expecting from her, she is only 12.

"Now it is District 11, first up is Quinn Holland with a score of 8," Midas states looking quite surprised. I never really thought much of Quinn, he never really stuck out. However he got an 8 like Vince, maybe there is more to him.

"And also from District 11, Naomi Ennedes, with a score of 4." The second lowest so far from Naomi, that doesn't surprise me.

"Lastly, we have District 12, beginning with Whent Lush, with a score of 4," Midas sighs. The same score as his ally. Both of theirs added up still doesn't beat my 10.

"Finishing off the night, we have Dana Woodman from District 12, ending us off with a score of 6," Midas says neatly stacking his notes. Another 6 to end it all. Heath stretches and stands up.

"Well guys, interview practice tomorrow, as well as the interviews themselves. Get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning," Heath says yawning. Theia says no words as she stands up and leaves the room. Thankfully she is finally out of my presence.

"Alright," I say gruffly as I also get up and head to bed.

…

About an hour has passed since I went to my bedroom. I have made sure to get dressed into something more comfortable, the air fresheners have also been spraying for a while, ridding the room of the smell of my sweat and instead filling it with the smell of roses.

The lights have been dimmed to a subtle glow, kind of resembling candlelight. I decided to have another shower to clean myself of the anger and frustration of watching the training scores. Instead of smelling like sweet and spicy cinnamon, I smell like a French Rose.

I had my teeth whitened by some machine in the bathroom, looking almost like the teeth on Midas, but not so freakish. I finish off by changing the image that I see on my wall to the vibrant and colourful city lights of the Capitol.

Directly after doing this, I hear a knock on the door. It's a quiet, quick and direct knock. I take off my shirt showing my pecs and abdominals as I step up to the door. I open it to see the frightened electric blue eyes of Orea. Her lip trembles like it did in the late afternoon. I raise my hand to her soft cheek and caress it. She looks absolutely terrified.

"Well, I'm glad you have kept your promise. Let's get started shall we?" I softly whisper. I grab her arm, pulling her into my room. This is going to be fun.

…

**Overall Training Scores:**

**D1 – Haim Peridot: **10

**D1 – Theia Cartelle: **10

**D2 – Nero Koeing: **7

**D2 – Ladonna Gully: **6

**D3 – Dayta Owens: **6

**D3 – Liesel Varner: **9

**D4 – Danix Bait: **6

**D4 – Rhode Nerida: **11

**D5 – Minho Lyun: **10

**D5 – Laelia Webber: **6

**D6 – Aramid Vicuna: **7

**D6 – Hera Loughbrook: **7

**D7 – Atlas Verdini: **9

**D7 – Phionex Blast: **6

**D8 – Rexx Kerdom: **10

**D8 – Libra Spindle: **7

**D9 – Fletcher Wilds: **12

**D9 – Ancora Siegle: **1

**D10 – Vince Rojarze: **8

**D10 – Cassia Summers: **5

**D11 – Quinn Holland: **8

**D11 – Naomi Ennedes: **4

**D12 – Whent Lush: **4

**D12 – Dana Woodman: **6


	25. Phionex: Passive Aggression

**Author's Note:**

**Yes I know, this chapter is a bit late, and not as long as I would like it too be, but to be honest, the events of this chapter weren't something I could exactly write 6000 words on. It is kind of like the Danix chapter, except longer than that. **

**Now also, I have noticed that there have been very little reviews per chapter as of late, and I understand that I may have lost some readers during that period when I was not able to upload, but still there have been some that have gone for many chapters without reviewing. I get that some people do read it even though they don't review, but I have to admit it is kind of disheartening to write 6000 words and get little notification that people are actually reading it.**

**I really would like to know your guys thoughts on the chapter, and even just some review showing that you are reading would suffice. Thank you to the people that do review each time, and hopefully more of you will join in. Otherwise, I may just assume you aren't reading anymore.**

**That's all I had to say really, so let's begin.**

**Phionex Blast, 16, D7:**

"Good evening Phionex! I must say I adore your dress."

"Uh, thanks I guess."

"So tell us, how has your time been in the Capitol?"

"What, you mean District 0? Just as I thought it would be, surrounded by pompous arrogant douches that think they are better than everyone."

"Oh, uh well surely you have met some nice people from the Capitol?"

"Very few, the rest are assholes."

"So how confident are you for the Hunger Games?"

"Ha! How confident would you be going into a closed arena where the majority of the people that enter are trying to kill you? Midas," I hiss, my eyes narrowed. Regina leans forward and buries her face into her hands. I believe I can hear a slight moan of impatience come from where her mouth is.

Her luscious blue bubble-gum coloured hair falls in waves covering either side of her face. Her right leg rests on top of her left, giving her something to rest her elbows on as she momentarily takes a break. Seconds later, she raises her head, showing her face which has her bottom lip puckered out as if she was a small child that just dropped their ice-cream.

"Phionex… please, I'm not your enemy, I'm trying to help the two of you out. I want you guys to win!" she pleads weakly, expressing her pain through hand movements. I shake my head in denial.

"You may want to see us win Regina, but the rest of District 0 want to see us die. They want all of the Rebels to perish in a slow, painful, and entertaining matter," I say bitterly. Regina cringes when I say that.

"Please Phionex, most Capitolites don't respond politely to that term," she says softly.

"What term?" I ask shaking my head. Regina looks around briefly just to see who is near us. The stylists are nowhere to be seen, and Atlas lies on the other couch reading over potential questions that Midas may ask.

"District 0," Regina whispers. I laugh in bewilderment about how stupid that is.

"Why do you have to check if people are around?" I ask, chortling. Regina creases her eyebrows in frustration.

"Phionex it's a serious matter for me, and any Capitolite."

"Okay, before you go on," I interrupt, "stop saying Capitolite that sounds really fucking stupid." Regina huffs appearing flustered.

"Well, fine whatever, but if someone from the Capitol gets caught even uttering that word, they get the Death Penalty," Regina states looking rather frightened. I pause for a moment.

"You get the Death Penalty, for saying District 0?" I say, raising my eyebrow in question. Regina once again winces when I say that name.

"Yes, that's exactly what happens!" Regina cries. I roll my eyes in disbelief. What type of place is this? They kill any citizen that says the name that they used to go by? Now I hate the Capitol, through and through. Anything or anyone from it, with a small number of exceptions. But even I feel a slight twinge of remorse for those that get killed for saying District 0, despite them being from the Capitol.

"Wait, how come I haven't gotten killed for saying that? I say it all the time," I say.

"Well, they can't kill a tribute. They most likely think sending you to the Hunger Games is enough," Regina says bitterly. Regina is one of the few people that I have met in the Capitol that is against the Hunger Games. She has told me that there are others, but doesn't want to give a name in case they somehow get in trouble. Most of the time I think she is saying it to get me to like her, and not be so hateful to absolutely everyone here, but I suppose if she really is against the Hunger Games, I would rather be around her than someone completely Pro-Games.

I sigh, shaking my head.

"Fine, whatever I'll refrain from saying it in the midst of you people," I say shrugging.

"Well I appreciate that Phionex," Regina says smiling.

"But, that doesn't mean I'll act polite and energetic to the people that intend on me dying," I say. Now it's Regina's turn to sigh. She rubs her tired eyes and returns her gaze to mine.

"Please, you've got to understand Phionex. These interviews is what gives the Capitol an insight to who you truly are," she says placing her hand on my shoulder.

"This is who I really am," I grunt, my face tensing up into a scowl.

"That is not what you want to show the Capitol. We are trying to change that look of you to something the Capitol will approve of and even adore," she comments.

"Wait what? You're trying to change me?" I shout, standing up.

"No, not in a bad way!" Regina says grabbing my wrist. I tear my wrist from her grasp and fold my arms.

"You're just like the rest of them Regina. They've already been changing us. Taking the opportunity to experiment on us and bend us to their desires when they please. I don't want to become something I'm not," I shout, my eyes beginning to water.

"Phionex, plea-" Regina tries to speak.

"You don't want to help us! You just want to change us," I say interrupting her.

"Phionex! Listen to me!" Regina screams. The entirety of the District 7 living quarters goes silent. Atlas looks up in shock, while my mouth drops open as I stare absolutely dumbfounded at Regina's outburst. This is the first time that Regina has had to raise her voice, the first time that she has just lost it. Her frosty blue eyes are swimming in a pool of shiny tears as her lips quiver in angst.

"Please, sit back down, and just listen to what I have to say," Regina says so softly it could be a whisper. I allow my legs to bend and place myself back down on the plush sofa. Regina sits down next to me, wiping away the tears that swell in her eyes.

"I care for you both, Atlas and you. I am trying my hardest to get the two of you in the best positions you can be. I'm not trying to change you, I'm trying to influence your attitude towards the Capitol to be more likeable to them. I am doing this, so that they sponsor you," Regina explains hoarsely.

"Sponsor me," I ask, confused.

"Yes, sponsor you. That means I'll be able to buy things and send them to you while you are in the arena. If you need water, food, weapons, shelter, so much more, I can get you that with money that people give to me. That only will come if people like you enough to give money," Regina informs us.

"So basically you're saying, the only way we will survive is for them to like us," Atlas speaks up, slamming the stack of questions on the table.

"Not necessarily Atlas, most of the Capitol don't particularly like Fletcher Wilds that much, but a lot of them think he is likely to win," Regina says.

"Besides, you don't really have to worry, most of the Capitol see you as the hunk of the Tributes, they already like you and I hear that they believe your odds of winning are pretty high," Regina says smiling. Atlas shakes his head in annoyance.

"I don't want to be seen in that way, I don't want to be remembered for looks, if I win, I want to be remembered for who I am as a person. For someone that strives to mend the rift between the Capitol and us from the Districts, to become equal just like we all were before the Dark Days," Atlas says throwing up his hands in the air.

"Why are you worried you won't be seen in that way? You're the leader of our alliance, an alliance made up of rebellious District inhabitants," I say trying to explain my point.

"No offense to you Regina, but the Capitol people don't take that stuff into account. A lot of them are horrible people that prefer to think with their cocks and sexual organs. The government may care, yes, but they will also try their best to shield the public away from seeing any hint of rebellion that especially their favourite tributes may show. They want to show that they have stamped out the majority of rebellion and that the few that will show it suffer," Atlas says sighing.

"That is true, so why do you still want to show that rebellious side to you?" Regina asks. Atlas looks at her, blank faced.

"I don't know if I want to anymore," he says emotionlessly.

"I don't know what to do in general. I don't want to show any form of gratitude to the Capitol. They are about to fuck up our lives. Condemn us all to death besides one. One person will survive. How can that person, whether it be the most venomous tribute here, or the most innocent, recover from what will be the most scarring, traumatising experience of their lives. The Capitol just expects us to take that? To think of them as the saviours? To express gratitude for the opportunity? No," Atlas says bitterly. The room is filled with silence as Atlas' speech sinks in.

"I made a mistake. I thought I could handle this, that I would have no problem with it. However, the more I have come to know people, the more I realise that likely all of them will die. The more I stay here, the more I realise the Capitols true intentions, of punishing us, selling us, changing us," he says, glancing at me at those last few words.

"Then again, what's the point of putting myself through an even worse time just by showing my true thoughts to such an oppressive populace? The rebels are a dying race, almost extinct. If we all die, then who will strive to see a better tomorrow?" Atlas asks. Regina reaches out and pats him on the back.

"Atlas is right Phionex. If you really want to show your true emptions and outlooks, then you have to be prepared to face the Capitol. It's true that they want to exterminate any form of rebellion, and that counts for people as well. The Gamemakers will make your life hell in the arena, and you will likely not make it out," Regina says.

"Way to be pessimistic Regina," I say folding my arms.

"I'm not sugar coating it Phionex, I'm being straightforward, anger the Gamemakers, make them dislike you, and expect a world of pain," Regina says, tone completely serious.

"It's so stupid! I'm not attacking them, I may be showing passive aggression, but why do they have to make this so damn serious?" I complain.

"Because it is serious Phionex," Regina conveys.

"Atlas gets it, but you seem to struggle to understand what I'm trying to say, or at least not take me seriously. You may be not showing them physical abuse, but verbally can be just as deadly, I absolutely do not suggest you go passive aggressive on Midas. The reason we have spent the last hour with me pretending to be Midas is so that you can practice not upsetting the entirety of the Capitol," Regina says getting flustered. I lean back on the backrest and groan in annoyance. This whole situation has become way more serious than it needs to be.

"I'm going to take a break. This is too stressful," I say shaking my head. Regina sighs as I get up and walk away. I still can't work out if she really wants to help us or is just pretending to. I find myself taking a turn towards the elevator rather than my room. I don't really know why, I don't even think there is anywhere that we are allowed to go.

When I step into the elevator, I look at the buttons. My eyes land on Level 10, and I contemplate going up to visit Vince. However, I feel like that's weird, especially since I don't really know his tribute partner Cassia, or his Escort. Am I even allowed to go to other District's floors? I don't see why I wouldn't be able to, but I decide against it anyway.

My eyes go further up and land on the R button. I haven't taken notice of this particular button before, yet, there it is, plain as day. It is the only button above the Floor 12 button, so I presume it is the roof. Would a tribute be allowed on the roof?

My finger finds the button and presses it, causing a beam of yellow lighting to embrace the button. The elevator shoots up very quickly, causing me to experience the usual fluttering stomach occurrence. It slows down once it nears the top, eventually stopping at a halt. The doors open causing me to shield my eyes from the bright sun.

I step out onto the roof, a subtle breeze blowing a few strands of hair onto my face. The sun is warm, warmer than the often overcast and chilled air of District 7. It hits my arms and face engulfing it them in a toasty atmosphere. Wind chimes can be heard from somewhere, not to loud but rather distant. I must say, despite my hatred for the Capitol, I do commend them on their impeccable weather.

Honestly, I believe it is the first time I have even felt the sun since I left District 7. I have been inside for the entire time I've been here besides for the Chariot Rides, which had an opening at the top. Unfortunately at that point it was night, and even if it wasn't, the tree that grew from my costume would have blocked me from the sun.

It' s a nice change, had I have known about the roof I would have gotten the entire United Pack to meet up here every night, potentially to enjoy a moment of stress free bliss. I'm sure that it would be absolutely lovely up here during the night. The city lights would be a phenomenal sight, and much nicer than a window that changes scenes at a buttons press. No, the real, non-artificial thing.

I walk up to the barrier, leaning on the arm rest and looking down below. It's a long drop. An excruciatingly high drop. The people walking below look like ants, or maybe fleas would be a more suitable description. I notice a large cluster of the stand outside the front of the building below. Large cars and flashing lights can easily be spotted despite the great distance. I leer at the lot of them, media reporters, new press, all just trying to get a crumb of information about anything. If they waited for tonight, they would have a whole 24 interviews to deal with.

I am very tempted to spit a wad of phlegm at them, yet somehow I feel like that won't go down well. I don't need them telling every citizen that the District 7 girl Phionex Blast is a no good rebellious scum. I'm certainly not scum, but every ounce of me is rebellious, right down to the core. Which is exactly what Regina wants me to hide. Ugh, I came to the roof to take a break from Regina, and now I'm thinking about what she has told me? Great.

I look up slightly, looking at the building in front of me. It is very large, very luxurious, and very grand. It stands taller than the Tribute Tower, built up my slabs of marble and accented by licks and stems of gold. The windows themselves look like they are made from pure crystal, which I would honestly not be surprised by if that was the case.

The name of the building is located over the doors, written in extremely precise calligraphy.

Altitude Heights.

Well it must be some building, because it is appears to be equally as important Tribute Towers. Fancy sport cars are parked out front while the media crowd seem almost as interested about this building as ours. Quite interesting, I wonder what is so important about it.

"You're not thinking about jumping are you?" a voice calls from behind me. I gasp and turn around in an instant, only to be facing Atlas.

"God dammit Atlas, you scared me to death," I moan as I clutch my chest. He laughs and stands beside me, overlooking the street below.

"Is this the first time you've been up here?" Atlas asks.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I came up here to be alone," I snap at him, still annoyed from before. He doesn't reply as he looks down below.

"Why did you come here?" I ask.

"Well, I saw that you went into the elevator, so I figured I would check on you, and I assumed you would be on the roof because to be fair, where the fuck else would you go?" he says.

"Maybe I wanted to be alone," I retort back. He strokes his chin for a moment to consider this.

"Nah, you would prefer to be with your bud Atlas," he says grinning. I shake my head trying not to laugh.

"You know we are only friends because of these Hunger Games right?" I say.

"I suppose that is true, but who isn't to say we wouldn't have become friends back in District 7?" he asks, shrugging and looking at me.

"Well to be quite honest, I always thought you were kind of a douche," I reply chuckling. He raises his eyebrow in question.

"Really? Well, I thought you were always kind of bitchy," he says. I put my hands on my hips as my mouth drops.

"Shut up, no you didn't," I say in denial.

"No, I really did," he protests. I punch him in the arm and he laughs.

"Okay, okay. You were always one of the nicer people out of the rebels, and I assume that you would have been very similar before that," he confesses. I smile and nod my head.

"Much better," I reply. He rubs the spot that I punched.

"You know, that was actually a solid punch, I think that it might even bruise," he says.

"Boo hoo, you going to cry?" I tease. He chuckles and stops rubbing, eventually his smile disappearing.

"Do you remember much of what it was like before the war?" he asks quietly. I glance at his still face, appearing rather sad.

"A little, but not all that much. I mean, the war raged on for many years, I was about 9 when it started," I reply. He nods in agreement.

"That was similar to me, I was 11. It feels almost like I never got to experience a true child hood. Everything that I have from it is gone. My parents, my best friend, my home, all destroyed because of District fucking 0," he says bitterly. I remember Atlas' parents. Alexia and Jules Verdini, very respected throughout District 7. Alexia was a fantastic medic, saved hundreds of rebel lives. I was a medic for some time during the war, although I don't have an awfully good memory of it, since I was very young at that stage, maybe 11. I worked alongside Alexia Verdini, and I remember she was a very pleasant woman.

I had always wondered at that point how she was so nice and Atlas was such a douchebag, but I was naïve. His father was very much like himself, a fantastic warrior and was one of the few to lead District 7 in the Storm of District 2. His best friend I can only remember briefly, Charles Hebilus, very rowdy like Atlas used to be. Atlas changed after all this happened. He became silent, dark, and relentless when attacking District 0. I am surprised how well he has done so far.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did your parents die?" I ask softly. Atlas grits his teeth as he looks down below.

"Two soldiers, or Peacekeepers now, they raided a bunch of our homes. I'm sure you remember that night. The two of us, Charlie and I, we were out that night, at one of the celebrations over the District 1 forces joining ours. We arrived in our street to find it stained in blood, people slaughtered on the ground, gores soaked into the crevices of the road. I remember, I ran to my doorstep, flung open the door, and ran into my parents' bedroom.

The two men, stood over my mother, who feebly rolled around on the floor, crying out in pain, hands and feet tied to the bedside table and bed legs. My father, already lay dead on the bed, throat slashed so hard his head was almost decapitated, multiple stab wounds to his chest, stomach, and even his left eye.

I'll never forget those faces, of the two men. Maniacal, savage, bloodstained. I remember there features, and I remember their names. They escaped through the window, but instead of chasing them down, I kneeled by my mother. She was a beautiful lady, I had been told that many times by the rebels. And there she was, that beautiful woman that had so many men proclaim their love to her, tied up, clothes torn to shreds, naked raped and violated, body viciously ravaged by those soldiers to their every desire.

She had been stabbed in the stomach, they most likely had planned on torturing her, but either way she was dying. I tried to stifle the blood flow as the two of us cried. I tried so hard to do everything that she had tried to teach me, but it was too late. I held her in my arms as she told me it was going to be okay, as she told me to move on, as she finally passed," Atlas managed to say. My hands covered my mouth as I listened to Atlas. My eyes began to water as I listened as well. Now that the story is over, I weep for him.

"I never knew. I never could have known it was that bad," I say. He shakes his head.

"I killed them. I killed those two soldiers. I killed one in the exact same way they had killed my father. And I killed the other in my own way. This is why I hate the Capitol. That is why I volunteered for these Games, so I could confront the Capitol personally. With Charles dying to them as well, I honestly had nothing to live for anymore," he says glumly.

"You do now," I say patting his back.

"You have Libra. I know that she feels something for you, and don't deny you may feel something back." He smiles at those words.

"You've got Vince as well," he says, smirking now. I instantly feel my face becoming hotter, presumably going a bright cherry red in colour. I splutter a couple of words, before turning away.

"I knew it," Atlas laughs.

"Shut up," I say, trying to cover my red face.

"That is why Phionex, we need to at least try to act nice in the interviews. If they get any wind of knowing who we care for just after we go complete rebellion mode at them, then it puts both us and them into danger," he says softly. I sigh as I look back at Atlas.

"Are you sure Regina didn't just send you up here to convince me?" I ask. Atlas rolls his eyes.

"Yes Phionex, I am positive," he replies. I let out a deep breath and shrug my shoulders.

"Fine, whatever," I say casually.

"Okay good, now speaking of Regina, let's go back down and tell her that we are both ready for her to train us in the art of speaking to the Capitol," he says grabbing my shoulder and escorting me to the elevator.

I hate to do this, but if this is what it takes to be safe, then I will have to suck it up and put up with it. I am not going to let my actions get Vince killed.


	26. Libra: Desire to the Eye of Panem

**Author's Note:**

**I know, this didn't come out on the date I set it for, the fact that my Laptop screwed up a couple of chapters ago basically tore me out of my schedule, so now each chapter is coming out at different times. This chapter is coming out even later unfortunately, I am on summer break, but I have been preparing for Christmas. That means I haven't had as much time as I normally do to finish the chapter off, so much house work is required (internally groans). **

**Anyways, I am very proud to get this out just before Christmas at least, a chapter for Christmas, my gift from me to you! This definitely is an interesting chapter, everything is starting to come into place and set up for how the tributes will react to the arena. It's going to be a nasty shock to them. I must admit, I create random characters and I fall in love with them. So I really hope you enjoy them as well, because I enjoy writing about those characters. Anyways, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and if you don't celebrate either of those, Happy Holidays! **

**Libra Spindle, 16, D8:**

It's awfully silent in the room. I suppose that does make sense, there are only the two of us in this room, and both Rexx and I aren't the most talkative people. That is mainly in social situations, so usually we don't have a problem talking to one another, in fact, I am quite fond of Rexx as a District partner and I dare say he returns that thought.

However, when faced with the imminent reality of talking in front of the entirety of Panem, well, that doesn't exactly make me all that… social. Hell, it doesn't seem like that is the case for Rexx either, he sits on the chair, patiently, however looking immensely paler than before. He fiddles with the hem of his shirt as he stares blankly at a spot in the corner of the room.

The room itself is one I have personally never actually been in before, nor do I think Rexx has. It's a lot smaller than most rooms I have been in in the Capitol. Maybe the size of a study, but it would likely be taller than the rooms I would live in back in District 8.

The walls are all painted a rich blood red, the carpet sticking out against it as a snowy white. There is a few soft chairs, in which Rexx resides, and a long lounge that is rather a creamy colour. Against one of the walls is a small buffet of food, accompanied by a fridge filled with all sorts of drinks, from carbonated, to juices, to even alcoholic beverages. When I first entered, I simply grabbed a small plastic bottle filled with water. Rexx has decided not to touch anything, both food and drinks.

I look down at my hand while I wait, my eyes resting on my small diamond ring. It used to be my Grandfather's, but he passed away a few years before the Rebellion broke out. Luckily for him, he didn't have to suffer the horrors of those times. The ring itself, is a cute little thing, forged from 24 carat gold, encrusted with little dots of amethyst surrounding the ring. A small diamond rests in the middle, sparkling as well as it did when I received it.

It means the world to me, and is absolutely priceless. It is one of the few remnants of jewellery from the Old World. I don't know much about gems and precious ores since I wasn't brought up in District 1, however I have been told that amethyst is one of, if not the rarest mineral on the Earth. No records of it being found after the Old World collapsed exists, and the few bits of amethyst available came from the age of the Old World.

Apparently my Grandfather received it from a person from District 1. He had always said the person was a 'friend', but never gave specifics on the friend.

My heart pounds harder after each second passes, just waiting in an everlasting anticipation. Fury our escort had taken us to this room about five minutes ago. She had told us that she would have to leave with the other Escort's for special seating at the Interviews. According to her, an Avox will arrive to lead us to our stylists and prep team, who were already getting the outfits and various equipment ready.

I must say, the costumes and outfits are one of my favourite parts. It may be stereotypically District 8 of me to say that, but it genuinely does remind me of home. I close my eyes, deciding to not think of that topic at this moment. I don't want to get emotional right before I get onto the stage in front of the Capitol, that won't exactly make me look like a contender to win.

"How are you feeling Libra?" Rexx asks quietly. I turn my head to meet his gaze. His eyes don't look so blank now, and he no longer fiddles restlessly with his shirt, however he still looks strangely pale and now rather sweaty.

"Quite alright, thanks for asking Rexx," I smile at him. I notice a little colour returns to his white cheeks, maybe a bit too much.

"What about yourself?" I ask him. He shakes his head, looking at the ground.

"Honestly, not so good," he replies.

"I don't blame you," I tell him, sympathetically.

"It's just so… daunting. I would have no problem talking in front of them if I wasn't from a District they deem rebellious," he says glumly.

"I get what you mean, they will hate us because we are in the United Pack," I say pouting.

"You shouldn't worry about that Libra, they don't know about the United Pack yet, that is a behind closed doors thing for now. They'll find out when the Hunger Games begin, but that won't be while you are directly in front of a whole crowd of them. Besides, you're obviously the most beautiful tribute out of the lot, they already love you," he says shrugging. I stop frozen as I absorb what Rexx just said. My chest flutters with nerves as I think about the possibility.

"Wha- really?" I say in surprise. Rexx nods his head in response.

"Of course, they have been talking about it non-stop since you were first Reaped," he exclaims in encouragement.

"Surely not, I'm not anything special," I say in denial.

"Wait and see, you'll be fine," he says. I shake my head, deciding to not believe him. Rexx is one of the few people I trust here, but even now I don't trust that comment. Rexx is likely just saying that to boost my ego, make myself feel better about going on stage to talk to Midas.

"Well your one of the smartest Tributes around, that'll give you some leverage, plus you got that score of 10, you cannot tell me that isn't impressive," I say crossing my legs.

"They don't exactly know how smart I am. It's not exactly a physical attribute that people can observe, much like a large body such as Fletcher's or Ladonna's is. They know that those two are strong, they can't just look at me and think I am intelligent. Not only that, but there are others that are smart, Dayta has the role of the smartest child in _District 3, _the smartest District, plus Liesel holds her own ground. Theia the psychotic girl that intends on killing me has also shown hints of high intelligence, and Rhode I suspect is being very strict on what she shows she is capable of, I think that she is a thinker," he sighs. I purse my lips at what he has said.

"I still think you can outsmart any one of those people, even Dayta with his title and Rhode with her score of 11," I say, smiling at him.

"You are honestly one of the only tributes I trust Libra," he says softly. Before I respond, the door slowly slides open, revealing a woman. I presume she is an Avox, she has the red uniform after all and who else would be coming to visit us when Fury said an Avox would lead us.

The girl steps into the room, the door sliding shut behind her. This is when I notice something is wrong. The girl shakes, and not only slightly. Her entire body appears to be on vibration mode, as if she was in the middle of a bitter winter snow. Her eyes twitch as she examines the two of us, her arms wrapped around her stomach as if she had just been punched there.

"Are, you okay ma'am?" REXX asks slowly. Her head snaps towards Rexx, her long white blonde hair whipping around the same direction. She stares at him, eyes twitching, appearing if she is about to cry, yet still not responding. I know why that is.

"She is an Avox Rexx, she can't speak," I inform him. Rexx's face becomes full of realisation.

"Oh, I forgot about that, sorry ma'am" he says sheepishly.

"Don't be," she squeaks. Both Rexx and I pause in shock, struggling to fathom how an Avox just talked. Before one of us responds, the girl collapses to her knees, bawling her eyes out and stifling her sobs. Rexx being next to her, appears to have no idea of what to do, so he decides to awkwardly pat her on the back. In an instant she shields herself from him, scrambling away.

"No, please, don't punish me master, I won't talk again," she cries, appearing frantic and terrified.

"Woah, no I'm not going to hurt you," Rexx says, trying to calm her down. She stops her crying and looks up at Rexx in surprise, eyes red from crying, yet still an unmistakeable electric blue, pale skin blotched red from the tears.

"Yo- You're not?" she whispers.

"Of course not, why would I do that?" Rexx asks in confusuion.

"He did when I spoke," she says hoarsely. Both Rexx and I glance at each other in question. Who is he?

"Well, you don't have to worry, I'm not going to hurt you, none of us are," Rexx assures her.

"Just tell us, what's your name?" The girl's eyes widen, only for her to cover her face and rock back and forth, repeatedly uttering the word 'no'.

"What's wrong?" I ask her. She pauses and looks up at me, the terror evident in her eyes.

"That's what he asked me, before…" she trails off before finishing, beginning to sob again. Rexx interrupts her, trying to calm her down.

"Trust us, we want to help you out, just tell us what your name is," Rexx pleads. The girl gulps before giving in to the question.

"Orea," she says, wiping a tear that rolls down her cheek.

"Okay Orea, tell us, who is 'he'?" I ask, bending down beside her and rubbing her back. She jolts when I first begin, however calms down after a few rubs.

"The boy, from District 1," she says.

"Haim," both Rexx and Orea say.

"What did Haim do?" Rexx asks. Orea begins to shake, harder than before.

"He, ravaged me, he violated me, he raped me," she sobs. Rexx shows a look of complete disgust and outrage.

"Haim raped you? Tell us what happened Orea," I say softly, trying not to be too forceful.

"He, finished his, Private Session, and I was by the elevator. He asked the other Avox why we couldn't speak, and the man refused. Haim, made me punish the man, by kicking him in his privates, and I accidently revealed I still had my tongue. He blackmailed me, forced me to go to his room last night, and he raped me. He raped me so many times, and there was nothing I could do," she says, almost breaking down as she remembers the events.

"That bastard will pay for this," Rexx says bitterly. I shudder in disgust at the thought of it. How horrible this must have been for her, forced to work as a servant for the rest of her life, has to pretend she has her tongue cut out so it won't happen for real, or even get killed for lying, and now she has gotten raped. This place, the Capitol, it's horrible, all it has done is made me further realise just how horrible some people can be. Vile human beings, that really don't deserve to live.

"Come. Follow us," Rexx says in a hushed voice, grabbing her arm.

"Please, don't take me to them, they'll kill me," she begs, pulling back.

"We aren't taking you the Peacekeepers," Rexx says calmly but quick.

"You're, not?" Orea asks.

"No, we are helping you escape," Rexx assures her, helping her to her feet.

"You can't! If they catch you, they'll kill me and punish you," she pleads.

"Then they won't catch us," I say, as the sliding door opens.

"But, they guard the building at all times! They guard the lobby, they guard the outside of the building, they guard every way out of the building, they will notice if one of the tributes or an Avox just go strolling out," she cries. Now that is true. They wouldn't make it possible for a tribute to just escape the building, so I doubt an Avox could either. Rexx however doesn't look even phased by that prospect.

"That doesn't matter, they don't have guards for where we are going," he grins. He leads Orea out into the hall, with myself following close behind. Both ways are quite empty, yet talking can be heard from the left side, and the right leads to a dead end window. There is however, the path straight ahead. I don't even know what Rexx is planning, so I sure do hope the way he wants to go is forward.

Luckily, Rexx swiftly moves forward, taking Orea with him who shakes hard with pressure. I quickly move next to Rexx so I can ask him about his plan.

"So where are we going?" I whisper.

"You'll see," he replies. We travel the length of the hall way, thankfully remaining undisturbed. We take a turn to the left, only to find the elevator. Orea begins shaking more intensely than before, holding her temples as she begins to fall to the floor.

"No, no, no, the elevator, no, no," she moans in despair. Rexx manages to hold her up in his arms as she allows herself to fall. She apparently doesn't like the elevator? I look at Rexx in exasperation, with him returning a look of pity.

"Come on Orea, there is nothing wrong with the elevator, it isn't going to hurt you," Rexx sighs as he presses the up button.

"The elevator… Haim… where he caught me… where he found out," she struggles to say.

"Haim isn't here, it's safe," I assure her.

"Memories… memories… of hurt," she manages to say, obviously too traumatised by the elevator. The elevator opens, revealing the empty interior. Orea whimpers like a wounded animal as she stares inside the elevator.

"Orea, if you're acting like this, the Peacekeepers will kill you, you need to be strong, and pretend to do your job," Rexx says directly to Orea, holding her shoulders so she looks at him rather than the elevator. It takes her a moment to respond, however she eventually gets back onto her feet, breathing deeply and closing her eyes.

"Okay," she says timidly. Rexx gets in first to show Orea that it is safe. She gets in after him, standing stiffly and most likely trying not to freak out. I get in last, pressing the button to close the doors so that nobody else gets in after us.

Rexx leans forward, looking at the buttons. He hesitates for a moment, before pressing the Level 1 button. Orea gasps, beginning to panic at the idea of going to the District 1 floor. Even I look at Rexx in shock.

"Rexx, what do you think you're doing?" I cry out. He turns to me, still with his finger pressed on the button marked with 1.

"Relax Libra, watch," he says. Turning back to the buttons, he reaches over to the button labelled with 5, and pushes that down as well. He holds it there for about two seconds, until a robotic female voice says, "_Going up, to Floor 15, the Sky Deck._" My face falls in surprise at those words, not really knowing how to react to that. I am very confused, and still confused as the elevator begins to travel upwards.

"How in the world did you know how to do that," I finally manage to splutter.

"I've gotten pretty bored at night, went roaming for a bit, and discovered a way to get onto other floors," he replies with a look of satisfaction.

"I thought the roof was the highest level," I say. He shrugs at me.

"So did I, but that is only the roof to the rooms of the District's. If you go onto the roof, you'll see a big building directly behind the one we live in, that is where the many offices, hospital floors and Peacekeeper Quarters are," he informs me. That makes so much more sense now.

"The Sky Deck is basically a bridge that leads over to the Styling Chambers, where they dressed us up before the Chariot Rides. This is where they are preparing us for our Interviews," Rexx states.

"You are so smart," I say. He laughs and shakes his head.

"Nope, just curious," he says grinning. The doors open to show a long enclosed bridge, quite wide apart and flooded with sunlight. I look out the tinted windows as we begin walking, only to see the sun beginning to set over the horizon. Orea walks in the middle of us, both Rexx and I making sure that we remain on either side of her. As we get to the halfway point of the bridge, the opening leading to a flight of stairs shows a trio of Peacekeepers walking out, all laughing obnoxiously.

I am about to panic when I realise that we are meant to be crossing this bridge with an Avox anyway. Despite this fact, I can't help it when my nerves flood my chest as we are about to pass them.

The one in the middle is the tallest one, looking very buff in his white armoured uniform. His hair is tousled and sandy blonde in colour, his eyes an apple green with a look of arrogance to them. The Peacekeeper to his right is a plump and sweaty man, face so red it looks as if he has been running the entire day, cheeks quivering with every step, eyes and nose squashed reminding me of a pig, hair short, wavy, and chocolate brown in colour. The man is small, about as tall as me. The last one is a tad taller than the fat one, almost as tall as the middle one, however quite lanky and looking like a turkey with his long neck and little mop of auburn hair.

They look like your average Peacekeepers, not anything like the citizens of District 0, instead bred in District 2 like the rest of them.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Two tributes and a filthy Avox crossing the Sky Deck," says Piggy.

"This Avox aint bad looking, to bad she aint got no tongue, I know how she could have utilised it," giggles Lanky. Piggy snorts at that comment.

"This bird is just as good eh? Think she'll do just as nicely. Maybe after I won't do her in for leaving the building," Lanky says as he eyes me down, smirking at his own words. Ugh disgusting, his adam's apple pokes out every time he nods.

"You can take the two girls, the boy will do for me," Piggy says as he attempts to grab Rexx. Rexx instead slaps his arm away and pummels him in his pig like nose. Piggy drops to the floor, hitting his head and knocking himself out. Lanky steps back, crying out in surprise while Tousled Hair shakes his head.

"Fucking idiots, they have to cross the Sky Deck, they're getting prepared for their interviews," Tousled Hair grunts as he lobs Piggy over his shoulder. He shoves Lanky forward causing him to yelp, and continues on walking down the length of the Sky Deck.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Rexx spits as he cracks his knuckles. We follow him down the stairs, which spirals down cutting off at different sections. The further down we go, the more my nerves begin to kick in. If we get caught trying to help Orea, we are likely to get punished very harshly, and we are putting Orea herself in immense danger. The Capitol take their servants very seriously, not that I would call them servants, they're more like slaves.

"Here, this is where our plan begins," Rexx says, leading us into some large room, filled to the brink with an assortment of clothing and colours. I have to refrain from instantly going crazy over the countless articles of clothes, with so many fabrics and materials I would never have been allowed to take from the factories back in District 8.

There are racks of jackets, tops, skirts, dresses, and so much more, with materials such as velvet, silk, leather, and even furs of exotic animals that I've never even seen. Even Orea in her current state of paranoia shows evident interest in all of the clothes.

"Orea, get out of your Avox uniform, hide it deeply amongst these clothes, and get changed into something a rich pompous Capitol citizen would wear. After that, we will go onto the next phase of the plan," Rexx informs Orea. She blinks in surprise and timidly nods in response, only to stand awkwardly while we look at her. It's a moment before Rexx realises why she stands there watching him, while she blushes and rocks back and forth.

"Oh… my apologies," he says, blushing himself and quickly turning away. I laugh before turning away myself, looking the same direction as Rexx. I listen to the rustling of clothing, followed by the footsteps of bare feet drifting away. The footsteps return and the rustle of clothes can once again be heard. Finally, after about five minutes the rustling stops, followed by a slight cough.

"I'm done," Orea says softly. Both Rexx and I turn to see her in an airy white dress, topped by a coat with a creamy brown colour, and black buttons. Her shoes are sleek satin black high heels, making her slightly taller.

"Wow, you look amazing," Rexx murmurs in awe.

"You look gorgeous Orea, I love your outfit!" I exclaim. She blushes again and looks down shyly.

"Thank you," she squeaks.

"You even put makeup on? How do you know how to do makeup?" I ask, noticing the eye liner, and the eye shadow, and everything else she added. I'm not that familiar with makeup, we never could really afford it much, so I only knew some basic things about it.

"Well, I'm originally from District 1, we know how to make ourselves look prettier," she giggles.

"We need to go now, we are already late. Orea, just go along with whatever I say. It's likely that the two of us won't make it out of the arena, so we will probably not get to talk to you in private ever again. Good luck," Rexx says.

"Thank you guys, I owe you everything," Orea says.

"You can pay us back by living your life," I say, embracing her in a hug. Rexx then does the same, except Orea also places a kiss on his cheek. As we exit the room and enter the elevator, I spot Rexx smile, accompanied by an intense blush.

The elevator travels down to Level 8, which I remember was the floor we got prepared for the Chariots on. I briefly remember my first ever conversation with another tribute other than Rexx. I had complimented Atlas on his costume, and has instantly gotten embarrassed following that. Luckily he hadn't seemed to care at the time, instead, he took up the conversation. My chest flutters again, not with nerves like before, but instead with excitement, just by thinking about Atlas.

That momentary thought is instantly switched off when the elevator door opens to both of our stylists and prep teams.

"Oh my goodness, guys you are so late!" Rexx's Stylist, Amandah, squeals in her high Capitol accent.

"We are sorry, we got interrupted by a few filthy and retched Peacekeepers," Rexx says sighing.

"Weren't you meant to come with an Avox? Where is it? Who is this?" my own Stylist, Talon asks.

"The Avox did come, but they were waved off by my friend Jeyne," Rexx explains, pointing at Orea.

"She is a nurse from the hospital ward, she tended to me after the Pillar Trial, and she told me she would like to learn how to become part of a prep team," he informs Talon and Amandah. Talon raises his eye brows in surprise, while Amandah perks her head up, examining Orea.

"Really? You would like to work as a member of a prep team?" Talon asks Orea.

"Oh yes, I have always wanted to. My parents forced me to become a nurse instead because of the war. They thought I could help, and now that it's over, I want to pursue my dream," Orea says quite convincingly. Amandah smiles and reaches out to shake Orea's hand.

"Well Jeyne, we are always happy to recruit new stylists and prep team members. You can join my team, we just had a space made after one of the members were upgraded to a different District, you can train with my team and see how you go," says Amandah, beaming with positivity. Orea's, or should I say Jeyne's, eyes light up with excitement.

"Oh really? Thank you so much! Where can I stay?" Jeyne asks.

"We have got dorms for stylists to stay in, or you could obviously sleep in your own apartment, what would you prefer?" Talon asks.

"I think the dorms sound great," Jeyne says, having lit up significantly since the offer.

"Now that that's settled, we are already immensely late, let's get you guys looking glamorous!" Amandah exclaims. We each go our separate ways, my team to my room, and Rexx's team and Jeyne to his room. I wave goodbye to Jeyne and grin at Rexx before our views of each other are cut off by the doors.

Talon isn't an overly friendly man. He always stuck out to me as someone that was obsessed with their job. 'Obsessed' might be an understatement. The man never laughs, never tries to have fun, instead he remains serious and almost hostile, as if I will distract him from his precious work time. Yet, he treats me as if I am a priceless piece of art, his main pride of work.

I'm honestly surprised he didn't go ballistic when we turned up late. Perhaps he was too surprised by the new arrival that was Orea. I understand why Rexx changed her name, it wouldn't be a good thing for her real identity to get out. I can only hope that she remembers her name is Jeyne.

"Alright Libra, this isn't going to hurt a bit," Talon mutters as he turns on a few bits of equipment. I know that's a lie, I found out the hard way before the Chariot rides. At least this time I'm prepared. My prep team rip off my clothing, leaving my body completely naked. Do I feel awkward? Damn right I do. My prep team and Talon have said I have nothing to be embarrassed about, but rather to be proud of. It appears they still stand by that statement when my prep team examine my naked body.

"You truly are a desire to the eye of Panem Libra," one of the members of my prep team say, a woman with curly silver hair.

"Indeed, she is easily the object of lust for the Capitol," Talon comments, switching on a razor. My face drops into a greasy stare as I cover my breasts away from the prep team. I instantly regret that when Talon slaps my arm away causing me to once again reveal my breasts.

"Large, symmetrical, the whole package," another member of my prep team says, this time a man with hair so yellow it looks bleached.

"Please, I would rather you stopped," I request.

"We are sorry Libra, we are just complimenting how flawless your body is, you are very lucky," the woman from before says as she begins to scrub my body down with a sponge. The sponge is heavy with the scent of pomegranate and vanilla.

"Honestly there isn't much hair to pluck at all! You were blessed," she continues. I shake my head as they finally begin the whole process. First they completely scrub the scent onto every surface of my body. The smell of the pomegranate and vanilla fill the room, invading my nostrils. After this they do a quick scan for hair, only finding hair to pluck from my eyebrows despite them being pretty slim already.

Next they wash my entire body, which does nothing to stifle the scent of the lotion they used prior. They scrub some blood that I haven't gotten rid of since the Hunt Trial, and it is only now that my skin is so clean that I notice the various scars and scabs from training and the trials are littered across my arms, legs and more places I don't even know how they would have gotten to.

They cover coat my skin in a creamy white gel, apparently removing all of my scars and cuts, and any imperfections I may have had despite my prep team continuously stating was non-existent. There goes any battle scar I may have received, any reminder that I have been using weaponry for the past three days. Once that layer has been washed off, all that remains is glossy white skin, shining at every little movement.

"Now I'll have you know Libra, each District is having a colour theme for their outfit. I won't reveal much now, but I will inform you that District 8's colour is purple," Talon says as he files my nails.

"Purple? My favourite colour," I say smiling. Talon doesn't smile back, in fact I think he thinks I am being sarcastic.

"I know it truly does suck, I tried so hard for icy blue, but Vice President Welsh insisted we had purple," he says rolling his eyes.

"Now let me see you other hand darling."

Eventually Talon finishes filing my nails into perfect ovals. First he puts a on a clear coat, making my nails look as glossy as my skin. Next he adds another coat, after letting the first one dry. Finishing off, he coats it in a vivid purple. Every time I move my fingers, my fingernails glints purple, almost as if they were amethyst.

"There we go, nails are done," Talon says as he finishes doing the same thing to my toe nails.

"You're body has dried, you can put on a robe now if you wish," he says waving me over to a white hospital gown.

_Damn right I want a robe._

After I acquire the robe and put it on, Talon makes me lean back, so my long raven black hair rests in a container full of water. He waits for a moment until it is all in there, until he begins to thoroughly wash my hair. For a moment, I'm incredibly relaxed, enjoying the sensation of my scalp being massaged as his fingers run through my hair.

When he stops I open my eyes feeling refreshed and soothed. He puts my hair into some sort of machine, and I get the stupid idea that he might cut it. I instantly expel the thought from my mind, internally cussing at myself for thinking such a stupid idea. I do this so I focus on how stupid that thought was rather than the possibility that it could come true.

Luckily, all that happens is an intense blowing sound. A gush of air begins to blow my hair, causing the vibrations to run up the length of my hairs and to my scalp. If I was to blow dry my hair back in District 8, not that I would have access to a blow dryer, but the ones that we have in the District would take at least ten minutes, and never did it truly give the desired effect. The one that Talon just used on my hair however, took about twenty seconds, and my hair came out looking like waves of the ocean, rippling down the length of my back until it hits just above my waist.

"From this point on Libra, we don't want you to see how you look, we want it to be a surprise for you," says the woman with silver hair.

"Why not?" I ask.

"It's going to be a surprise how you look," she replies.

"Are we ready to begin Silver?" asks the other woman of my prep team. Her name is Silver and she has silver hair? How ironic. The three prep team members basically pounce onto my face with makeup. So many brushes and various make up accessories is what I feel on my face. It goes on for a solid ten minutes, and by the end of it, it feels as if my face had just been slammed into cake. I've never had this much make up on me. I do like to dress up, but I always did with clothes from the factories. We never really used much make up, well at least I didn't.

"We didn't have to add any eye lashes, yours are already nice and long," giggles Silver.

"Okay, close your eyes now," Talon instructs me. I shut my eyes and stand up, feeling a few hands grab my robe. A moment later it gets taken off, slowly falling to the ground. I feel it fall in a heap around my ankles, before I step out of the middle of it and onto flat ground. The hands escort me forward, until I am turning into a carpeted room. I already know what this room is. This is the room that I first sat down, talked, and ate with Talon. They take me to the far side of the room, giggling and whispering in excitement.

"Okay. Careful how you do this Libra. Raise your leg and step into the dress," Talon instructs me. I do what he tells me and raise my leg as if I was climbing over a fence. I do the same with my other leg, and once I have stepped into the dress, Talon pulls it up until it covers my body. Once the shoulder straps are perched upon my shoulders, I feel the back of the dress become zipped up. It's a comfortable fit. From what I can tell already from my knowledge of clothing, it is rather silky, the part of my dress that is waist up clings to every curve of my body.

'You may open your eyes Libra," Talon says quietly. I take a deep breath and allow my eyelids to flutter open. At first, I look for Libra Spindle. The District 8 girl is not there, at least in her usual form. The person that stares back at me has a look of complete and utter shock etched on her face. Her hair is as raven black as ever, falling in waves to her lower back as I already knew. Her pale snowy skin compliments her raven hair nicely, something she had always been rather happy with.

That is where the shades end. The rest is vibrant colour. Above her forehead, just above her hairline, a row of small purple flowers rest symmetrically. Her dress goes down to the ground, silky and smooth in material, with a triangle cut out of the chest. The dress is the same colour as her nails, so purple in fact that it makes her own eyes look purple.

The entire fact that this girl was me is the one thing that I cannot comprehend. Talon stands next to me, for the first time ever allowing a smile to be present on his face. He appears extremely pleased with his work, and I have to admit, I commend him on this brilliant job. It feels like a lot of makeup is on my face, however only mascara to make my eye lashes noticeable, and purple lipstick is what I can see. I presume whatever else there is, is so my skin looks flawless and smooth. It reminds me of Orea's smooth looking cheeks.

"What do you think Libra?" Talon asks quietly.

"I-I love it Talon! It's phenomenal," I exclaim. He nods, becoming very serious again.

"Well it helps when you have someone beautiful to work on," he replies. I laugh, rolling my eyes.

"The Interview's begin in an hour, we must leave now, as we're behind schedule as it is," he says, glancing at his watch.

"Let's go show everyone that you truly are a desire to the eye of Panem," says Talon.

"I'm really not," I reply shaking my head in denial.

"Are you kidding? Look at you! I am so jealous," Silver cries out.

"Guys, Amandah wanted me to tell you that we are going now," Rexx calls out from the prep room. I turn around as he steps into the room. His eyes go wide when they meet me, his jaw dropping simultaneously.

Do I really look that good?


	27. Liesel: Let's Get Acquainted

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! I'm back from my little holiday trip, and the first thing I'll say is Happy New Year! I hope that 2015 was a good year for you and that 2016 will be even better! In terms of For the Children, it'll soon be hitting its 1 year anniversary, and we are still yet to hit the games, that says something about my updating skills over the year :') **

**But, I have many amazing plans for the games, some adrenaline pumping story lines, some insane character plots and development, and a great ambition to get it done. During my trip, I had no laptop, but I really wanted to write. So I may or may not have written 4000 words on my phone in notes…**

**Let's get this chapter started, and hopefully we can get through these Interview chapters like that (snaps fingers).**

**Liesel Varner, 16, D3:**

They should love me right? It's certainly not the other tributes I am talking about, that is quite laughable. The other tributes liking someone from District 3, after all that we did for District 0 and against the other District's, I dare say it isn't surprising that I have received countless dirty and hateful looks. I am however talking about the Capitol. District 3 is one of, if not, the only District that they can trust.

I have received a decent score, opposed to Dayta's rather low one. Strangely he doesn't seem at all upset about it, so I instantly deem it as being rather fishy. I honestly don't buy that he got such a low score. The fact remains, I have a decent score, and I have given the Capitol hope that someone from their allied District could win. Does this mean I particularly like the Capitol? No. Honestly they are very horrible people, as are many of the uptight and arrogant District 3 citizens. I may not agree with many of their motives and opinions, but I will do whatever it takes to survive. So if that means pleasing the Capitol so the Gamemaker's are more likely to protect me in the arena, then I am willing to conform to that strategy.

That leads me to my original question. They should love me right? The answer is hopefully a yes. That answer does calm my pounding heartbeat a bit, but only by a bit. Besides the District that I am named under, what else do I have going for me? They don't know about myself coming first in the Pillar Trial, hell they don't even know what the Pillar Trial is! It wasn't a public thing, so they are oblivious to that. I'm not the girl that the Capitol lusts for like they do for Libra, with her long wavy pitch black hair, snowy skin, and vivid blue eyes. No, unfortunately not. I wouldn't say I'm bad looking, but I'm definitely not a heart throb like the Capitol TV shows have claimed Libra is, countless times.

I can only make a good impression during my interview. That will be the only point that I could truly show the Capitol that I mean to please them, and entertain them. To do that, I would have to talk to the thousands of Capitol citizens, which is the reason I'm so nervous in the first place. I'm not usually such a nervous wreck in terms of social situations, but that was before it impacted whether I lived or died. Knowing that all those people that are watching, are judging me intensely, that they are there in person to boo me and hate on me, it isn't exactly a motivation booster. Of course the fact that they could love me seeps into my thoughts again, and that is what makes me snap out of my stupor and stand up.

"Alright, I'm ready," I breathe deeply. Polleck, my Stylist, hums to acknowledge what I said as he writes several lines on a piece of paper. I look in the mirror once again, making sure that the work that Polleck has gone to hasn't just vanished for some random reason. No it's all still there, vibrant and radiant as before. Polleck addressed the fact that all the District's have a colour theme for the interviews, however he refrained from informing me of the others. District 3 appears to be a sunset orange. I've never cared for fashion or beauty, but I cannot deny that Polleck has done a phenomenal job. The orange dress glows with orange, if I turned the lights of it would literally be luminous. It is made to stick to the curves of my body, once it reaches towards my feet it begins to flow outwards like a blossomed flower.

My nails are the exact same colour, as well as my shoes. I cannot say I'm fond of the heels, especially since I have no idea how to walk efficiently in them. I have found if I walk slowly enough, I can look like each step doesn't feel like to me that I'm walking on stilts. My lips are very full, a somewhat darker orange that looks like leaves in the fall. The colour of my lips compliments my honey like dirty blonde hair, which rolls in curls down my back. My eyes are the odd feature out here, not at all matching the orange. Instead my clear sky blue eyes stick out against the vibrancy. My skin also goes rather well with the orange, a subtle tan to the mostly olive complexion. I would say it isn't natural, seeing as I haven't seen sun in a week or so. The main feature of my outfit is no doubt the neon glow to it, pulsating with every movement.

"Why is District 3 orange?" I ask.

"My dear I could not tell you why even if I wanted to, I am not sure, the decision was made by Jonah Welsh, he is a difficult man to work out," he replies sounding rather bored. He turns to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"One thing is for certain with Mr Welsh, once he has his mind set on something, it is virtually impossible to change," he says with a meek smile. I twist my mouth in distaste.

"He is evil for certain," I mumble. Polleck inhales sharply.

"Liesel my dear you must be careful who you say that in front of. It is very dangerous to say the derogatory name for the Capitol, it is even more so to speak ill of the Vice President," he mutters into my ear as he straightens up my dress.

"Polleck!" I hear a man cry as he bursts open the door. Polleck raises his head, looking alert and rather annoyed.

"What is the meaning of this? We are not late," Polleck scolds as he examines the fat golden watch on his rather slender wrist.

"An Avox, is missing," the man exclaims. Polleck's face drops in surprise, quickly adjusting to a critical expression.

"An Avox? Missing? Surely not, that isn't possible," he states.

"I know! It is another weird case, another Avox was found beat up yesterday and now this happens. There is a possibility that the Avox was killed, so there might be a serial Avox killer on the loose," the man cries out.

"It is most likely that the Avox escaped, I don't know how, I wouldn't think it possible, and they wouldn't get very far with a tongue cut out. If they did, it is very impressive," Polleck says with admiration.

"That is what is assumed, we believe they are on the run. We will find them though, like you said, you can't get very far without a tongue. I told you so if you see anything you can tip us off," the man who I presume to be a Peacekeeper says.

"Of course, do we know what they look like?" Polleck asks.

"No, the names and identification was never taken of the Avox's, those things are being taken off of the rest of them now though, Welsh is absolutely furious that the identification hadn't already been taken," the Peacekeeper says.

"So we don't know if they are a boy or a girl, or what they look like?" Polleck asks flatly.

"Well, yes," he replies with guilt.

"I agree with Mr Welsh, that is ridiculous," Polleck says.

"Now off with you, both Liesel and I were about to leave." The Peacekeeper closes the door, leaving Polleck and I alone.

"You see Liesel, people that say the old name of the Capitol can be turned into an Avox, others find themselves facing the death penalty," Polleck tells me as he looks out the window, which provides a clear image of the city.

"What do you think happened to the Avox?" I ask. Polleck waits for a moment before answering.

"I do not know Liesel, if I had to choose, I would say they escaped, but I have no clue how they did it, there is only one exit to the Tribute Tower, and that is the lobby," he informs me.

"What about the Sky Deck?" I ask.

"The Sky Deck leads here, what good would it do the Avox to come to the Styling Chambers?" Polleck says scratching his long tanned chin.

"Come now, we must go if we are to be on time," he says leading me out the door. I push his arm away in annoyance.

"I can walk myself, I don't need you to lead me," I snap at him. He chuckles and continues to push me the direction we are exiting.

"Remember just who you are talking to," he says.

"Yeah I get it, you're Welsh's best buddy, no need to brag," I mutter bitterly.

"You should be thankful, Mr Welsh knows I am the best Stylist, he gave me the option to choose the District that I style, and I chose your District," he tells me as if he saved my life.

"Yeah of course you would choose District 3, our District sucks the Capitol's cock, our Mayor now works as the Vice Gamemaker, what a stuck up turd Edison Belkry is," I add to the reasons why Polleck chose my District.

"When you win the Hunger Games, you will be eternally grateful for the effort I went to for you Liesel," Polleck says casually as we exit the front of the building to an array of cars and camera flashes from the media. We stop outside a car with a big number 3 on the bonnet, and Polleck opens the door for me.

"I will see you tomorrow, just before you enter the arena, so good luck," he says. Before I say something snarky back, Polleck interrupts.

"Don't think I haven't noticed how much you have been sweating dear, I made your outfit an absorbent for moisture, so when you look out at the crowd of a thousand judging eyes, feel free to wipe your sweaty hands on your lovely dress," he informs me, smirking as he turns and walks back into the building. I close my open mouth in frustration as I step into the car, or should I say limousine. As soon as the door shuts behind me, my eyes meet a dark brown pair of constantly observing and cheek filled eyes, belonging to none other than my District partner Dayta. Even as I look at his smug grin and confident composure, I begin to pre-emptively groan in annoyance, just knowing he is going to say something sly and witty.

"Good to see you've been turned into an orange as well."

I have not been disappointed.

"Really not in the mood for you right now Dayta," I say bluntly.

"Come on, I'm pretty sure talking to people you know would calm you down a bit," he says smirking. I laugh sarcastically and fold my arms.

"See I told you," he says.

"Why are you so confident?" I ask suspiciously. He shrugs his shoulders as he ponders for an answer.

"Not really sure. I know my way around words, I'm from District 3, and what would I have to worry about other than my fellow competition?" Dayta says giggling. The limousine starts as I eye Dayta in confusion. It surges forward causing my body to start sliding the opposite direction. Oh Newton's laws of physics, how fascinating. As for Dayta's confident attitude, similarly fascinating.

"I can see why the other District's think we are so arrogant," I mutter bitterly.

"You're always enjoyable to mess with, it's rather easy with you."

"I wouldn't refrain to say it would be rather easy to stuff you inside that bin in the corner."

"Touché."

"Seriously?"

"Loosen up a bit, you're about as grouchy as Jonah Welsh."

"Don't compare me to that personified form of Satan."

"Bit harsh don't you think?"

"You're the harsh one comparing me to him."

"We'll see who the harsh one is when we get to the arena."

The rest of the trip there is surprisingly peaceful, with Dayta speaking very little and myself running through numerous self-motivational pep talks. I find myself wiping the sweat on my hands off onto my dress constantly, eventually getting so bad I request for a towel. I finish using the towel and throw it across the limousine, with it landing right next to a small shelf that holds several glasses of champagne. I know what alcohol is, and I know the drastic effects of it. I have tried it once or twice before the war broke out, since my family was rather wealthy and we had access to it.

It appears Dayta also knows what alcohol is, as he gives me a concerned look when I grab a glass.

"You shouldn't Liesel, we are about to talk to the whole nation, do you really want them thinking you are some drunken fool?" He asks.

"You think I'm stupid enough to have multiple glasses of champagne? No I'm only having one or two to soothe my nerves," I insist. I put the glass to my lips and allow the bubbly carbonated liquid to seep into my mouth. It honestly doesn't taste that bad, rather fruity and cool, yet it makes my chest feel warm. After I have more sips, that's when my head begins to feel light, where everything just seems so relaxed.

"Nope that's it," Dayta says sternly as he takes the glass from my hand.

"Aww that tasted nice," I complain, face pouting in sadness.

"That may be the case, but the effects of it won't be if you continue to drink it," he says as he puts the glass on the shelf.

"Ha! You care about what happens to me!" I yell pointing at him.

"I care about you making District 3 look like a joke thank you very much," he says.

"Yeah I'm sure that's the case," I say sarcastically, mimicking what he said before. I examine him as he tidies himself up. He wears a simple black blazer, with black pants. The hem of the sleeves however is the same fiery orange I wear, as well as an orange shirt and tie. His normally messy chocolate brown hair is combed neatly, and his tanned Latino skin works well with the orange. The orange on his suit also pulsates like mine, literally glowing brighter when he moves. He straightens up his tie, looking at it in the small mirror that the limousine has on the wall.

"Who are you trying to look good for? Hera?" I ask, causing him to look at me on alarm as I laugh hysterically.

"Wha- where on ear-, why would you think that?!" Dayta asks in a flustered tone.

"Oh I've seen the way you look at her, ever since the train rides when we first saw the other tributes," I tell him, as I struggle to stifle my laugh when I look at his horror-struck face.

"No you're making things up," he says shaking his head quickly. He thinks I'm so stupid, and that he is so superior. I've seen him at training, watching her at particular moments, and looking away with a panic when someone notices him. It's quite funny, whenever I see it happen I find it very amusing.

"Oh Dayta, you're so easy to mess with."  
"Watch it Liesel,"

"Now who gets all defensive when he is the one on the receiving end of banter?"

"Still you."

"I beg to differ."

"I beg you shut up."

"That's a bit rude."

"You're a bit ride."

"Now you're just being childish."

"But I'm winning now aren't I?"

"Not for long."

"Why would that be?"

"Because you'll be trying to act cool in Hera's presence."

"Okay I'll admit she is pretty, so what?"

"Ha! I knew it."

"Fuck you."

"Shit," I mumble as the car stops at a halt. I shakily hold myself up so I don't fall across multiple seats.

"Watch it!" Dayta says, eyes widened.

"Shut it little boy, I'm ready to do this," I say, rubbing my hands together. A surge of adrenaline pumps through my veins as I look out the heavily tinted windows. We are in a small car park, shielded away from the frenzied media with their cameras outside. When the Peacekeeper opens the limousine door, I stumble out, brushing my dress off and looking around in excitement. I can hear the shouting and music from outside, all of it for us, for me.

As Dayta steps out of the limousine, I put my arm around his shoulder.

"Hear all that from outside? That is for us," I tell him, waving my free arm in a circle to signify 'around us'.

"I understand that Liesel," he replies, squirming uncomfortably. He manages to shrug out of my grasp, causing me to stumble the way I was leaning on him, just managing to grab onto the car before plummeting down to the ground. As I look around in my tipsy daze, I watch as another limousine pulls up behind the District 3 limousine. I only have second to register the big fat 8 painted onto the hood of the car. The door is opened by a Peacekeeper, and following that, a girl and boy step out, both with full coloured clothing of purple, and random accents of the same violet like colour. I recognise the two tributes to be Rexx, the silent one, and of course the Capitol's heart throb, Libra. As soon as my eyes make contact with Libra's, my mouth drops in astonishment.

"Are you kidding me?" I cry out, pointing at Libra.

"Come on Liesel let's go," Dayta mutters, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the entrance to the building. I continue to stare at Libra as I am taken through the front doors. She looks back at me timidly, looking away the majority of the time. Rexx simply looks at me in confusion, possibly questioning why I'm staring so intently at Libra. I'll tell you why, I'm jealous, there I said it. I'm not someone to usually be phased by something as stupid as this, but when faced with Libra dressed up for Panem, and maybe with the addition of the alcohol, it seems very important to me at this moment.

It is only this moment apparently, because as soon as my vision of the District 8 pair is cut off, I forget about it. The adrenaline pumps through me once again at the aspect of the entire nation focusing on me, for a period of time. I am no longer a nervous wreck, but I, in fact anticipate the opportunity to show the Capitol what I am capable of through words alone.

Dayta pulls me in the direction of the Peacekeepers that he is following. We walk up a flight of stairs, a subtle buzzing echoing throughout the corridor. However, once we enter the backstage, we can clearly hear the roar of the crowd.

"Here we are," I breathe as Dayta and I join the other tributes. We have gathered into a large crescent, the scoop of the crescent being occupied by a lady with a head piece on around her ear. I try to distinguish certain features of her, but she honestly just looks like a blur of colours. She ushers to the District 8 tributes that enter the room to come forward quickly. They walk over in a rush until they have joined up with their alliance.

"Okay tributes! We have made it to the interviews, and we are hoping for an eventful evening! For these particular interviews, since it is the first, we will have you all sitting out in a stand on the stage. It's very simple from there, don't get nervous. Our interviewer will call out your name when it is your time to be interviewed, once it is over, just sit back in your seat," the woman instructs us. She has to shout to be heard, but I do believe all of us hear her as we all nod in response except for the few that glare.

"Let's do this guys!" She cries out in excitement, before saying something into her microphone. A moment later, a voice booms out from the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please make a warming welcome to your favourite host, Midas Heirloom!" Shouts the voice, making the last word he says drag on as the crowd erupts into an enormous cheer. I watch through the gap in the curtain as Midas strides onto the stage, doing a few spins and blowing a few kisses into the crowd. It looks like Midas has been dipped in gold, all except for his pale white skin that looks like quartz against the shiny dazzling gold. He sits in a big plush crimson coloured chair, waving out at the crowd as the applause begins to die down. I notice that there is a seat to his left, the exact same colour as his own, and diagonally behind that chair, the stand that we will sit in while we wait. 24 vacant seats, the same crimson colour, wait for an owner to claim them. There are a total of four rows, each with 6 chairs on them. Above each chair is a sign stating the District number. District 1 starts on the left side of the front row while District 3 is on the right side. I spot my seat as the second last one in the front row, should I be concerned that I'm next to Nero?

"Welcome, welcome, everyone to the 1st Annual Hunger Games Interview Night!" Midas calls out into the crowd. He is awarded another round of cheering as he claps in excitement.

"Now we have a special night planned for the lot of you, in fact all of Panem! But, we wouldn't be having it if it weren't for our fantastic sports that will be entering the arena tomorrow, so give it up for the Tributes, of the 1st Annual Hunger Games!" Midas cries out. The curtains open, introducing us to the bellow of applause, louder than any I've ever heard of before. We begin to walk out in order of District, and since I am District 3, I am one of the first on stage. The crowd chant put various names at random stages, I find that I even hear a few 'Liesel's' here and there. That makes me more comfortable with waving out at them as do many of the other tributes. I notice several of the Rebels do as well, so even they are playing this carefully.

I take my seat, the second to last one in the row with Dayta at the end to my left, and Nero on my right. He looks rather dazed, potentially from the effect of a drug. His eyes stare ahead of him glazed over, head slouched over. He appears half dead, so he must be under some intense stimulants. Once we have all seated, the crowd begins to quiet down. I look above and see a large screen, presumably for us to watch. I wonder if this is exactly what the Nation is seeing. If it is, they are currently watching the camera shifting from various positions, from Midas and the empty seat, to a group shot, to shots of individual people. It pans over the pair from District 1 death staring each other, to Rhode appearing a tad more cheerful than usual, to Fletcher looking rather menacing like usual, of course showing Libra and Rexx waving shyly, and Atlas glancing at Phionex who looks back at him smiling nervously. I am taken aback when my face is shown on the screen, appearing awed and squinty at the bright stage lights.

Midas raises his hand, signalling the enormous crowd to settle down. There must be millions out there, the theatre is enormous, going up very far back. It's honestly rather blinding, so many vibrant lights and colours of the Capitol people. I shield my eyes to see if I can see how far back it goes, but my mind doesn't allow it. I hope I didn't have too much to drink, I'm acting okay, right?

"Now let's begin this night shall we?" First introducing, Theia Cartelle!" Midas calls out. The crowd blasts us with applause as Theia stands up and walks over to the vacant seat next to Midas. She sits down showing no form of nervousness, crossing one leg over the other. District 1's colour appears to be silver, as Theia is decked out in a long sparkling silver dress, with pearl coloured high heels and silver lip stick. Her blue eyes look grey when paired with the rest of her outfit, and her whitish blonde hair has a streak or two of silver.

She politely waves at the crowd, while only smiling slightly, glancing at Midas sharply with her usual sly stare, accompanied by her deadly attitude, with a hint of insanity.

"So Theia, how have you enjoyed your time in the Capitol?" Midas asks enthusiastically. Theia answers back without hesitation.

"Excellent Midas, I have enjoyed experiencing the luxury you have, I definitely am thankful for this opportunity," she comments with her casual bored but alert tone.

"That is great! So tell us about yourself Theia," Midas asks. She shuts her eyes, looking relatively calm when she opens them once again.

"I don't really have much to say Midas, there isn't much to say about me. I'm a simple girl, with a simple goal. That is to get out of this so called 'arena' we keep being told about. I am prepared to do whatever it takes, or kill whoever it takes," she hisses causing the crowd to erupt in a deafening round of applause. Theia looks back at the bunch of us, staring down several members of the tributes. As confident as I am, I definitely hope that I am not one of those people.

Theia is honestly incredibly scary. She always gives me vibes that she isn't entirely sane, that she is a highly aggressive person that will not hesitate to slit my throat.

"So Theia, what do you think you're odds are of winning the Hunger Games?" Midas asks. I would like to say that Theia trembles in fear at the idea of entering the arena, that she breaks down in front of the entire of Panem, and reveals that she believes she doesn't have a fighting chance. Instead, my stomach churns at her answer.

"I have no doubt that I can win this thing, I am driven with a lot of bottled up energy and immense amounts of built up hatred for one or two of my fellow tributes," she says bitterly, once again looking back at us.

"Do I sense some drama?" Midas asks the crowd, earning several whoops and cheers.

"Damn right you do," Theia answers.

"Would you be willing to reveal anything about that?" Midas asks with excitement.

"I have a vendetta for a couple of my competition, I won't spoil the fun for the audience yet, they can watch the show, but I will say that my _dear District partner _and I have some business to settle," she says in a dangerously sweet tone. The crowd goes wild as the screen above us shows Haim, looking incredibly venomous and spiteful.

"We definitely anticipate seeing that go down in the arena, and we will no doubt be watching out for your action during the games," Midas says with extreme enthusiasm.

"Now Theia, you are a very pretty little thing, and you have talked about the people you are not in good spirits with, but is there anyone out there that is special to you? Do you have a fine young man looking out for you, that you have lustful feelings for?" Midas asks. I watch in fascination as the scene in front of me unfolds.

Theia's face goes unnaturally pale, her eyes appearing extra wide. Her mouth opens slightly in complete shock, while her body sits up straight and stiff. The crowd has gone silent as they wait for an answer, and it feels as if the rest of us tributes are holding our breaths. Could this be? The ruthless and deadly Theia Cartelle, could have a boy that she loves? Midas covers his mouth and coughs after a moment to long passes.

"Theia?" It appears she snaps back to reality at these words, looking around in a daze and glancing back at Midas, almost looking fearful.

"Uh, I-I don't… know," she replies, stuttering in a way that makes her appear strangely vulnerable. Luckily for Theia, the bell rings signalling the end of her interview.

"Oh that's some bad luck, well good luck to you Theia, and may the odds be ever in your favour," Midas says loudly.

"Everyone, Theia Cartelle!" he calls out to the crowd as he stands up to present her, while she does it rather robotically. The crowd cheers as he raises her hand to his face and kisses the back of it. She walks back to her seat on the stand, not bothering to wave to the crowd this time, more so just looking like she has seen a ghost.

I watch her as she collapses onto her chair, I can see her face sweating now that she is closer. I haven't ever seen her show this kind of vulnerability. This question has affected her in more ways than I would have ever thought it could. However, as I turn my gaze back to Midas, a small voice says something in the back of my mind.

_What if it was the answer that affected her?_

"Now ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the next tribute of the evening, Haim Peridot!" Midas shouts out to the camera, pointing over at Haim as he stands up. Haim, still looking quite pissed off at Theia, steps off the stand and somewhat struts over to the chair. When he arrives at the chair, he rips off the sleeve of the right arm of his silver blazer, and following that, the left arm. Over the cheers of the crowd, I hear a scream coming from the Stylist's section. I look to see a young woman, obviously horrified that he has just ripped the sleeves off his blazer. I'm assuming that is his Stylist.

The crowd on the other hand, appear to love it. He throws out the sleeves into the front rows of the crowd and that causes more screaming. Hands from the crowd fight each other and reach out to get the sleeves for themselves. Haim follows up by flexing his built biceps, and cheering with the crowd, pointing out at them and placing a hand on his chest.

I roll my eyes, seeing right through the façade. Midas however, does not at all. He shakes Haim's hand looking absolutely delighted to be in his presence. Eventually the crowd die down and Midas and Haim sit down, still appearing energetic.

"Haim, what an entrance you made, are you this excited for the Hunger Games?" Midas asks.

"Most definitely, I love the entire concept of the Hunger Games, and I am thrilled to be a part of it! I don't really care if I win or die, I just really want to spill fresh blood once again, but that doesn't matter, because I will win anyway," he says proudly.

"You say you want to spill blood again, does some of that blood belong to your District partner?" Midas asks, hoping to cause some drama.

"Oh yes, without a doubt. That little bitch will be the first person I take down. Don't worry, I'll make it slow and painful, and very entertaining for you," he answers, smiling cruelly.

"This will definitely be an interesting battle to watch, especially since you both received a score of 10! What would you say your major drive is for achieving such a score?" Midas asks in fascination.

"I enjoy to inflict pain Midas, I live to hurt, I live to wreak havoc, and I live to kill. I have become very experienced with weaponry, and very familiar with what fuels me to perform at my utmost best," he informs Midas.

"You are definitely someone we all look forward to watching in the arena! Now one last thing before our time is up Haim, who do you think the biggest threat is?" Midas asks. Haim doesn't answer straight away, he appears to think for a moment instead. He briefly looks around at us, eyes swiftly scanning each and every tribute. I feel like his eyes rest on Fletcher for a moment longer than most. Haim turns back to the silent audience that await an answer in anticipation.

"Me," Haim responds, smirking at the cameras. The crowd drown out any other noise with a cheer, including the ding of the bell that signifies the end of Haim's interview. Midas grabs Haim's wrist, and they both stand, raising their arm into the air. I watch in annoyance as Haim walks back towards his seat, giving Theia a flash of his middle finger. I don't blame Theia for wanting to end this arrogant douchebag's life, if I could, I would with the smug grin off his face, and I would knock out his teeth just because of how much I hate his smile.

He plonks down on his seat, folding his arms in satisfaction and propping his ankle up on his other knee. If he and Theia fought each other, I honestly wouldn't mind if Theia came out alive with his head on a pike.

"Next up, is District 2's Ladonna Gully!" Midas calls out enthusiastically. Ladonna's eyes widen at the crowds cheering, perhaps only realising that it is her turn to speak to the entire Nation. My mind numbs at how slow this is going, my god it feels like I have been sitting in this seat for hours when in reality I have only been here for under 10 minutes. Now that Haim and Theia have finished their interviews, I wonder if there is really a point in paying attention to the rest. The normal Liesel would without a doubt be making sure to absorb any kind of information that she could use to her advantage. However, currently trying to focus much more on the other tribute is taking its toll on my mind. Perhaps I should thank Dayta later for saving me the misfortune of having any more than I should have.

Ladonna I have already concluded to be a not much of a threat. She has shown she can be strong, but very weak minded. She isn't very smart, she didn't get a high training score, and she has shown her vulnerabilities and her lack of confidence. She also isn't a beauty, although she looks presentable now, she is still overshadowed by many of the other tributes, and District 2's stormy grey, that is surely meant to reflect their masonry, does not at all flare up her look with colour. Regardless, the Liesel I normally am pushes through to my tipsy mind.

_Pay attention idiot, don't let anything past you._

One thought connects with the other, and feeling as if I am lifting myself from a cosy bed while I'm half asleep, I return my gaze to the screen above me to pay attention to what she has to say.

I learn that Ladonna is a case of another tragic story, her parents that she called Ma and Pa died in the taking over of District 2, specifically in the bombing run of the outskirts. Her only living relative left is Benno, who she calls Benny, her younger brother at the age of 10. The crowd is awfully silent as she tells this tear jerker, perhaps because they somehow feel responsible.

_You aren't responsible. District 6 and the rest of the rebels are._ I feel like yelling this out to the crowd, but some sensible thought in me manages to direct that idea away.

Ladonna continues on about some two year old she found in the wreckage, Ditte she calls her. It's at this point that I realize that Ladonna is honestly not going to say anything that I could use against her. She is just a dimwit, what did Dayta say on the train? That she looks like she has the IQ of a cabbage? Something like that, either way he was pretty accurate. So when the bell finally rings to signal the end of Ladonna's interview, I am more than relieved, in fact rather thankful.

Nero is a different situation. Midas explains to the crowd that he hasn't been feeling well as of late, and that he is under some heavy medication. If only they knew. He calls him up to sit next to him all the same however, causing Nero to look as if he has gotten up to sleep walk. He shuffles over, the crowd politely cheering as if they will wake him up if they are too loud. He slumps down onto the chair next to Midas, earning a pat on the back.

"Now folks, since Nero isn't in the right state of mind to have a sensible interview, we will now show a quick compilation of clips of Nero's training! This will give you an idea of what he is capable of and fuel some excitement!" Midas tells the crowd.

The screen above me changes from a view of the stage, to slowly panning the image onto Nero's face. Once half of his head is in view, he looks up, causing a flash of light. The clips they show are numerous videos of Nero massacring dummies, literally ripping and tearing them apart in his own rage. The crowd cheer and scream at particular scene, especially one where Nero rips the head off of a dummy. I wonder if this is what he did for his Private Session. I couldn't imagine him doing anything else, he only has two modes, a heavily medicated mode, or his rage induced and violent rampage mode. I flash back to when all of us besides the District 1's were in the Dock, he had to be forced in there by Peacekeeper's which he was intent on fighting and snarling at.

The clip ends with Nero literally punching his fist through the back of a dummy, with the protruding end coming out of the middle of the chest. It doesn't register me immediately, however as I groggily watch Nero stumble back to his seat in the stand, I realize that my turn is next. My eyes widen in alert, my back arching back to sit back straight. I join my hands together and try to look as focused as possible. I shut my eyes and breathe deeply through my nostrils, letting my breath release through my lips. Okay I am ready for this. I think?

"Now please welcome, from District 3, Liesel Varner!" I hear Midas shout out my name, causing my focus to turn to him. The crowd begin erupts into a cheer, the loudest I think so far. I'm so taken aback by the noise that I am momentarily frozen in my seat. That is until Dayta speaks up.

"Liesel, you've been called, get the hell up there," he says in hushed urgency.

Oh shit, that means I'm sitting here while I should be leaving. I stand up in an instant, maybe a little too quickly in fact as my head begins spinning as soon as I move. I walk down the few steps there are and find myself on the main stage. The noise of the crowd is even louder from here since I'm closer now. The same goes for the stage lights, making me have to squint even more. I wave out to the crowd, not timidly, not subtly, full blown swinging of my arm.

I finally make it to my seat and before I sit down, Midas takes my hand swiftly and give it a peck. I'm on the brink of knocking his lights out before I remember who he is and where I am. My instincts can wait for the games, knocking Midas out would surely get me killed before the games, or make me very unpopular with the Capitol at the least.

Currently, I would say I am a bit of a star. I wasn't wrong before, they seem to love me, at least a lot more than the first four. If I had to guess, it would likely be because of where I came from, District 3. They scream out their love for me, and they throw up flowers and stuffed animals from the front rows. I even see signs of 'Liesel Varner' and 'District 3'.

I sit down simultaneously with Midas, with him patiently waiting for the noise to quiet down. I on the other hand continue to wave, smile and blow kisses to the crowd. I'm taking full advantage of this and I'm not at all holding back. Eventually Midas has to hold out his hand, and make a shushing motion with the other. The applause finally dies down and Midas begins the interview.

"Now Liesel, let's get acquainted, how are you this evening?" Midas asks. This is the part that I tense up, that despite being relatively relaxed from the champagne, I still need to make sure I don't mess up this interview, which will be arguably the difference between life and death. I make sure to grin and look at Midas' face to distract me from the thousands of people sitting in front of me.

"I am fantastic Midas, I've never been better," I reply, making sure I am positively beaming. Ugh, I hate doing this, I'm not exactly a nice person, and having to act extra nice to the Capitol is degrading as it is. I almost feel like I am going against my own morals until I realize my moral is to do whatever it takes to survive.

_God, I hope I'm not coming across as sarcastic, it may be a lie, but they don't need to know that. _

"That's excellent Liesel! I must say a lot of the Capitol is truly excited to see you in action, many think you really do have a fighting chance," Midas informs me, earning some agreement from the crowd.

I would like to hope so, it wouldn't be all that motivating to enter the arena with the Nation preparing to watch me get my gut torn out or something.

"Really? I didn't think I had that much support! I am so thankful for that," I say with exaggerated excitement, even going to the length of blowing another kiss out to the crowd. Apparently they love it because they go crazy over that. I really should become an actress if I win, I'll star in movies every time I come up here for a new Hunger Games. This extremely sweet and innocent façade I'm putting on disgusts me as much as the pig Haim does. I'm sure the other tributes see right through it, but it's not them I'm trying to fool.

"Now we would really like to know about who you are Liesel, tell us about yourself, please," Midas asks warmly. I look down at the camera, making sure I'm grinning sweetly and looking pretty.

"I'm not that fascinating, I had a pretty simple life before the war, my Mother and Father were brilliant scientists, and I always strived to be like them. We lived in a nice large house on the outskirts of the muggy District 3 city, and we helped out our District in the rebellion," I say.

That was entirely a lie. My family was pretty wealthy, but they in no way helped our District. They didn't agree at all with District 0, and remained defiantly uninvolved. My father was no scientist, he was a soldier, who perished in combat. My mother died when we were rounded up by a group of people, to this day I do not know if they were Rebels or District 0. My sister Kady and I were taken, and forced to reveal any information we knew of. I guess they figured we knew something due to how large and wealthy our family was.

I don't know where Kady is. I don't even know if she is still alive. I believe she is though, and I will find her when I get out of this nonsense.

"That is wonderful Liesel, hopefully you can make it out to see your family once again," Midas exclaims.

"Do you have any particular hopes for what the arena will be like?" Oh goodness, I've never actually thought about the arena before, I don't even know what I would like! What do I say?

"Umm… confined?" I should not have said that.

"Confined!? That's an interesting one, tell us why you would like that?" Idiot Liesel, you obviously had too much to drink, now look at the spot you've put yourself in, you can't even answer the simplest question properly. I am now depending on sober Liesel to step in and give a reasonable answer that actually makes sense.

"Well, District 3 is very muggy and tight, with lots of buildings making the space very small and the city very confined, it's what I'm used to and what I feel like can benefit me the most." Phew, oh Liesel thank god you are so smart at times like these, despite being under the influence of alcohol.

"My, my, my that would be a spectacular arena to watch the Hunger Games play out in! Now one last question before our time runs out Liesel, who do you trust the least?" The question is undoubtedly a trick, a way of getting some beef between another tribute and I, and honestly I wouldn't mind playing that game. The thing is, I haven't exactly gotten close or even really spoken to many others since we arrived here. I have interacted with Vince, who literally sacrificed himself for me in the Hunt Trial, plus he is too much of a nice guy, so he isn't one to be all that sly.

So when I realize how little I have spoken to other people, that is when it dawns on me, the person who I don't trust in the slightest, that would likely do anything just to come out over the top, the person that isn't waiting for these games to start in the arena, but instead has been playing since the start. I smile and turn to Midas, saying my answer incredibly casually.

"Well of course none other than my lovely District partner!"


	28. Tiffany: True Colors Flare

**Author's Note:**

**We finally get to see some Tiffany again! Yes it's been a while since we have seen anything out of our 'greater' storyline, the behind the scenes of the Hunger Games, and I have many things planned out for that. I'm sure if you are long time readers you will remember Tiffany from Prologue Chapter 4, and she has made a couple of appearances here and there.**

**The way this will be done, is with a few lines from the interview, and thoughts by Tiffany. I don't want to spend longer than I have to on the interview, so we can get through this quickly. This will be the second Interview Chapter, the third one being next and that will be the last one. After that, 3 more chapters and then the Games begin! Super excited! **

**Now guys, I just want to address that last chapter I only received 3 reviews. I understand that not everyone can review each one, but it is kind of disheartening to write 7,500 words and receive little feedback. I'm sure you could understand that. I just would like to hear thoughts on the chapter so I know I'm doing it right. I would really appreciate it if we could at least hit 5 reviews this time :)**

**Now if any of you are looking for another SYOT to submit to, please check out The Fall of Andromeda by Tom137. Ya boy tom has decided to do his own take on the Rebellion and the first Hunger Games, and I highly suggest you check it out! **

**. . .**

**Tiffany Altite, 25, Capitol:**

The people around me gasp in shock, obviously surprised by Liesel Varner's answer. I don't however, I think it's actually quite smart not to trust her District partner. Liesel sits there beaming, looking relatively pleased with herself. It's easy to see she isn't how she normally is, perhaps just acting up for the cameras. An ordinary Capitolite wouldn't notice, but I take everything seriously nowadays. I've seen her expression of constant slyness, and her true self covered by her cold hard stare.

The bell rings to signify the end of her interview, and she ends it off by Midas embracing her in a hug, and then with herself displaying a brief curtsey to the crowd, that have already begun cheering in their loudest tones, trying to be heard by Liesel their District 3 saviour that will kill all the 'bad' rebels.

I myself politely clap my hands a couple of times, before they slip back into their folded position. Unlike all of the other brainwashed citizens, I am no longer exactly a fan of District 3. My mind slips back to the memory of the Escort meeting, where we first were enquired to perform this job. Welsh did a simple hat draw, and I did want District 3. Luckily I didn't get them. I got District 6.

Living with Hera and Aramid for the past week has enlightened me to just how horrible the Capitol, or District 0, really were before the war. And during the war for that matter. I never really knew the reason why the District's rebelled, not until Aramid and Hera explained it to me. The District's had every right to be angry, infuriated, livid. Now the Capitol are planning on killing 23 children each year? How can I agree with this!?

I am not alone in this opinion either to my luck. My friend, Regina, is completely against it as well. She sits next to me as, checking herself in the small portable mirror she brings everywhere. We sit in the Escort section, to the left when facing the stage. We are perched up higher, most likely due to our importance or connection with the tributes. Unfortunately for me, the whining bitch of an Escort that District 5 have, Isla Pristine, sits next to me on the other side.

Even now she groans and whines about not having District 3.

"Ridiculous, this is so unfair, why do I get the savages from District 5 while fucking Nealt gets the only District I will ever trust, I am a true supporter of the Games, why do I get the worst District to help?" she complains darkly. Shortly after, she chortles at something she thinks of.

"Oh, besides District 6 of course, the whole lot of them can burn," she spits out viscously, glaring at me with some sort of snide laughter evident in both her eyes and on her mouth.

"The way you're acting Isla, you don't deserve any other than what you deem to be the worst District at this point," I reply through gritted teeth.

"Why would that be Altite? Unlike you I actually care about getting certain District's, it's degrading to have District 5. Luckily for me, you have the worst one," she says dangerously sweet.

"Grow up, I would feel sorry for the District 3 tributes if you were to have them. They would be dead in an instant," I bite back at her.

"It doesn't matter if they die or not, as long as I'm not stuck with being around savages for an entire week," she says in that infuriating pompous voice that makes me just want to slap the smug smirk of her face.

"You're pathetic, I don't even know why Welsh selected you for this job," I say bitterly, shaking my head.

"Jonah likes me, that's why, and when I tell him that you need to be removed from the Escorts, he won't hesitate to do that in an instant."

"Hey, Pristine," Regina says poking into our 'little' argument.

"What do you want bitch?" she sneers at Regina.

"Shut your whore mouth and fuck off, we are trying to pay attention," she says venomously. Isla looks as if she has just been slapped. She huffs in exasperation before standing up and storming off to find another seat.

"Thanks, Regina," I thank her, smiling weakly.

"No problem! I've got your back, I honestly hate that bitch," she says looking over at Isla darkly. We look back to the stage, Dayta having settled down on the Interview chair and looking relatively calm and collected. His posture is relaxed, his expression almost looking as if he is judging everything he looks at, with an eyebrow semi raised and his mouth slanted slightly in question. It kind of looks like his form of arrogance, which doesn't surprise me with him being from District 3 and all, potentially the most arrogant District of them all. Perhaps Isla would suit them as an Escort perfectly.

Currently, Midas asks him about his thoughts on Liesel saying she doesn't trust him.

"Oh don't worry Midas, I completely understand that, in fact I commend her for that opinion. After all, the feeling is mutual." This earns several ooh's and ahh's from the crowd.

"You don't trust her either?" Midas asks in excitement.

"Not at all Midas. In fact it is best not to trust anyone in this competition. I would much rather stay alone throughout the entirety of the games, rather than be constantly paranoid of being stabbed in the back, by a potential ally," he responds casually.

"You mean to say, that there are alliances that have been made?" Midas ask, turning to the audience with a thrilled sort of look. This earns lots of excitement out of the crowd.

"Indeed, there are several alliances that my fellow competition has made, and they don't realise their mistake," Dayta informs us.

"What is that mistake?" Midas asks looking intrigued.

"All alliances break down. When pitted against each other in a battle to the death where only one will come out, their little agreements of trust will always fall apart." He finishes off the sentence with a smirk as the bell rings to end his interview.

"Thank you Dayta, we wish you luck in the arena!" Midas calls out loudly as he stands to farewell the crowd.

"I don't trust that one," mutters Regina. I glance at her to see her staring hard at Dayta. I turn back nodding in agreement.

"Neither do I. He is too smart for his own good, he knows what he is doing and I don't like it one bit," I reply quietly, just so it is audible over the cheering of both the crowd and the Escorts around us. They know nothing, they don't understand what is happening, the bigger picture. They are all oblivious. They aren't safe though. Nobody here is.

"Guess who is up next?" I say smiling in amusement.

"The girl with the 11," Regina comments, lips twisted in concern.

"Rhode," I say in confirmation. As I predicted, once Dayta has taken his seat next to Liesel once again, Midas calls out for Rhode. Deafening applause reaches my ears as Rhode steps onto the stage from the stand, looking about as pouty and stony as always. She does look nice, I will admit. District 4 have apparently been assigned an Icy Blue. Her dress swishes with every movement, looking as if they are rolling waves. I've visited District 4 before, of course it was prior to the war, prior to when they shut their borders. The colours look like the extremely light blue one would see around the sandy offshore islands, around the cliffs of upper District 4. It looks like the water that has immense amount of sunlight glaring down upon it.

I have to commend her Stylist's effort at making the outfit look so much like moving water. It really contrasts her skin, rather pale compared to the majority of District 4, with a cute accumulation of freckles on her nose. Her hair, similarly to almost all the girls has been curled, rolling in curly waves down the length of her back, reminding me of her outfit. It also contrasts her outfit with a rich and dark muddy colour to it. I also notice it is longer than normal, her hair used to meet just below her shoulders, and it had appeared she would cut it with a knife due to how uneven it was. That is no longer the case I am guessing because once again her Stylist said so. It reminds me of what happened to Laelia's hair, except of course Laelia's was much shorter, looking like boys hair.

Underneath all the makeup, Rhode still holds her infamous scowl, her constantly furrowed eye brows and grimace of anger. Yet, it suits her. Her jaw has also been made to look more mallow, rather than its usual sharp square-like form. She looks very healthy, not malnourished like Ancora, or beefy like Ladonna, but rather strong, assumedly from all the fishing and killing of sharks and beasts like those.

So the question presents itself, what did she do to get an 11? Of course Fletcher got a 12, but that is pretty obvious how he could of, and I'm sure nobody was surprised by it. However, I don't know much about Rhode at all. Aramid and Hera have both stated she doesn't really show much at training, whether it be physically or emotionally. That's when it becomes confusing. However, she was one of the two to win the Hunt Trial. And the only reason she got eliminated from the Pillar Trial, was due to her getting ganged up on by three fairly strong tributes from the United Pack I have been told about. She is hiding her abilities, and she in my books is as much of a threat as Fletcher.

"Looks like your everyday tribute," Regina comments as she examines Rhode.

"We'll see," I reply dauntingly. Rhode slumps down on the chair, looking around awkwardly at the cheering crowd. She folds her arms and draws herself in, shrugging her shoulders up and head backing down against them.

"She is nervous," I say in realisation.

"Probably not a fan of public speaking," Regina says in assumption. Midas does the same thing as he has with every girl, he takes her hand and gives it a peck. She appears rather revolted by this and is quick to pull back her arm when he let's go.

"Now Rhode, I am asking, they are all asking, the entire nation of Panem is asking, what did you do to score an 11? Please share anything that can help us work it out," Midas requests.

"If I was to do that, the other tributes could work it out as well, and I don't want that," Rhode replies in a dull voice. Just from looking at her normal appearance, I get the image that this would be her casual voice. It may be a combination of that and stage fright. Luckily for her, Midas is there to spice everything up.

"Very true Rhode! I see you are already in the mindset of playing this game," he says with as much enthusiasm as possible.

"Indeed, I want to come out on top of this competition," she replies bluntly. She sure isn't revealing much. That carries on for the majority of her interview, short answers, always brief and skimping information, and after her bell dings, I am still left in the dark about who Rhode really is and what she is capable of.

"She doesn't say much," Regina murmurs out of the corner of her mouth.

"No, it seems not," I reply with evident disappointment. I watch Rhode stride back to her seat, sad that the girl still remains a mystery to me. Luckily for Aramid and Hera, her District partner Danix does not at all compare to Rhode, in the ways of threat and competition. I will admit, Danix is a bit of a hunk. Looking much more like a typical District 4 citizen than Rhode ever was, his strong, tanned body is covered by the same colour of Icy Blue in the form of a blazer. The same rolling wave effect is displayed on the blazer as well as the tie he wears, with is white with diagonal stripes of the rolling blue, finishing off with his pants, once again the same blue effect. His shoes on the other hand are a nice pearly white, similar to his tie. It really works well with his bright white teeth that come together to form a cute grin.

Underneath the blazer however is bare tanned skin, displaying his tanned and built abdominals and pecs. His sleeves are also rolled up to his elbow to show his defined wrists. His jawline is sharp, and his dirty blonde almost brown hair is thick and has become curled with growth, settling just above his shoulders. Despite his attractive and potentially intimidating appearance, his eyes are shy and friendly, a soft green that stares out at the crowd with evident nerves and politeness.

The crowd seem to like him however, heavy applause reaching his ears potentially giving him some sort of a motivational boost. I would not be surprised if it was for his looks, but it is still an advantage either way, and advantage that he should be using to its full extent. It appears his Stylist is doing just that. Does he know how to do that though? I think not.

As soon as he has shaken his hand with Midas, he instantly shuts down his compliment of his attractiveness. Undoubtedly he is much too humble to exploit his appearance.

"Tell us about your family Danix, what are they like?"

"M-my family?" Danix gulps at this question.

"Why yes!"

"Oh, uh, well my parents split while I was young. My dad took custody over me, and he was. . . good t-to me," Danix stutters, eye twitching at the mention of his father. That doesn't take a genius, he isn't being entirely truthful about his father.

"Do you ever see your mother, Danix?"

"N-no I never see my mother, I swear dad," he says directly to the camera.

"Do you have any siblings?" Midas asks softly.

"I don't, my mother miscarried twice after me. I have a friend though, I consider him to be like a brother to me, his name is Leith," he says calmer than before. Now that the subject has been taken away from his father, it appears that he has drastically changed his mood.

"What are your parents' names?" Uh oh, Midas is drawing the conversation back to his parents. Why is he doing that? For the poor boy to break down?

"My p-parents' names? Well my mother's name is Celeste."

"And your father?" My god Midas, the boy is going to faint if you go on.

"M-my dad, my d-dad's name is. . . Zas," he finally manages to get out.

"Nice names Danix! Now why did you volunteer for these Games?" It's at this question that Danix's usually tanned face goes white, his eyes widen and his mouth gapes open, unable to produce an answer. It feels like this interview has gone on for way past the designated amount of time, yet it doesn't end. Danix recuperates himself, and manages to get out a weak answer.

"I-I, wanted to b-bring glory, to my father," he says barley above a whisper.

"Now are you sure that's the answer?" Midas asks with eyebrows raised. This is it. I know it. The moment it all falls to shit. I'm not wrong. Danix completely breaks down.

"I did it to escape my f-father, I did it to get away from all h-he does, a-all the beatings, the h-hurt and pain he inflicts o-on me! He is a p-psychopathic drunkard that hurt me and my mother. He is evil, and the a-authorities did nothing about it!" Danix splutters out, eyes tearing up, trembling in his upset state of mind. The crowd gasp, murmuring to each other with concern. Danix sniffles as he kneels on the stage, the bell finally ringing to end his interview.

"Poor boy," I hear one of the other Escorts say. My stomach churns in unease at the thought of what Danix could have been through. It likely might not compare to some people, especially some of the other tributes, but to be hurt excessively by your own father, how horrible it must be. I've never had it hard, I'll admit that. I cannot possibly fathom what some of these kids have had to experience, but I really do want to do what I can to show that I support the District's.

Danix has been excused and he has stumbled back to his seat. It's a peculiar, and a rather unnerving sight to see a young strong looking man like Danix reduced to a blubbering mess.

_You're going to be in for a lot more of that in these forthcoming weeks Tiffany._

I shiver at my thoughts, the eerily true vibe running down my spine. I'm going to have to watch these tributes crawl through hell, and only one of them can come out, utterly traumatised and scarred from the experience. I want to hope that one of the younger, innocent kids come out, but I cannot avert my support away from Aramid and Hera. Even Phionex and Atlas, I would be happy if one of them could make it out since they are Regina's tributes. The harsh reality is that any of the corrupted and sinful tributes like Fletcher or possibly Haim could as well. Then again, nobody can be wholly good, right?

My thoughts are interrupted by the clapping of the crowd. It isn't very loud compared to others like District 3. Either because they are still disgruntled by Danix's interview or because it is now District 5 that has earned their turn. District 5, the scary ominous place full of supposedly rebel scoundrel, murderers, rapists, child predators, and an intense and scary drug cartel. Just to mention a few of course. Even if that is the case, I highly doubt that the two tributes from District 5 are anything of the sorts at this moment. So I don't let the stereotype cloud my judgement, instead I applaud them to show my support.

I honestly want to slap my ignorant minded self from months ago. Once again my mind flashes back to the Escort meeting. I was chatting with Regina about what the worst District would be to get. Of course my idiot self, assumed District 5 would be a 'terrible' choice. I'm actually embarrassed with myself about that event. Just another brainwashed and oblivious Capitolite.

Laelia looks very pretty. What can I say? She slightly resembles Libra, with features a tad sharper. Her eyes are incredibly green, vividly standing out against her fair skin with a small amount of freckles dotted on her nose. Her hair is very long, ending around her glutes, and is very straight, very black, and very luscious. I have heard lot's about this hair of hers through the grape vine. Both Aramid and Hera have expressed their concerns about it, especially when she has apparently rejected the opportunity presented by Minho to join their alliance. Intertwined with some metal I am yet to find out about, I recall seeing Ladonna getting almost knocked out by it when whipped avross the head with it. Her expression is a lot softer than in her Reaping Recap. Her scowl is almost non-existent, yet it is evident she isn't very happy. Her face frowns slightly and she almost looks confused.

District 5's assigned colour appears to be white. And it isn't a soft sheet white, but more as if snow was reflecting sun. I can only assume their outfit is meant to resemble their field of power, in this case specifically solar energy. Laelia's dress almost looks like a wedding dress, however not as bulky. District 3's outfits may have glowed, however District 5's outfit shines. I can see the rays of light letting off of it from here. All of it is a bright white light, it almost looks like I'm staring directly into the sun, minus the blindness. Luckily for the audience, it is not too unbearably bright to look at.

As Midas greets her and compliments her on her outfit, I take the opportunity to talk to Regina.

"Have you heard about her hair?" Regina glances at me, briefly nodding.

"Yes I have, it's made from a new Magnesium based alloy, it's about as light as a hair sized strand of aluminium, and with the strength of titanium alloys," she replies with unease. My eyes widen at this new introduction of information.

"Woah, are you for real? That's insane, how do you know so much about this stuff Regina?" I ask impressed.

"Well, I looked into it after I found out, I do want to help my tributes as much as possible so I figured it would be valuable information," she says shrugging.

"Why did she get this done to her hair?" I ask.

'I'm pretty sure her Stylist wanted to make her look more desirable, and making it out of that material would ensure it couldn't be cut," she replies looking sympathetic.

"Isn't that going to be an advantage in the arena?" I ask sounding rather concerned.

"Most likely, but that's what they get for adjusting the tributes and doing these stupid experiments on them, just look at him," Regina exclaims pointing at Nero, who still sits looking dead to the world. Looking back at the stage, I begin to once again pay attention to Laelia.

"Are you feeling confident for the games Laelia?"

"I don't really know to be honest, I'm just happy I won't be alone when I am in there at this stage," she responds softly, still looking uncomfortably confused.

"Ooh is this one of those alliances we have heard about?" Midas asks, leaving the question to be answered.

"Yes I suppose," Laelia replies with a shrug.

"Would you be willing to tell us who is in this alliance?" Midas asks almost pleadingly. He sure knows how to try and get something interesting out of the tributes. I wonder if it is just luck that he stumbles across these things to talk about.

"Well, I made my alliance with Danix," she informs us, motioning towards Danix who still trembles over his Interview. This earns some intense applause from the audience.

"Does this alliance go any deeper?" Midas asks in a knowing tone. Laelia's eyes widen at this question, instantly shaking her head.

"No, not at all, we are just companions," she says defiantly.

"Are you sure about that Laelia?" Midas asks humorously. This question causes a scowl to once again grace Laelia's face, her arms crossing in annoyance.

"Do you see how they are twisting things, trying to make things happen that aren't true at all?" I ask in exasperation.

"They need this type of drama, they are trying to broadcast to an audience that thinks of it as a gameshow, as well as show the rebels their punishment," Regina replies shaking her head.

Laelia's Interview finishes up shortly after that, with her looking rather pissed off as she storms back to her seat. It is safe to say there is nothing between them besides the alliance, or perhaps actual friendship. I know divert my attention to Minho, decked out in a sleeveless white suit that shines as bright as Laelia's. His defined muscles are very clear for everyone to see, there to show just what he is capable of.

Midas does not stall at all, quickly greeting Minho and beginning the interview shortly after. He probably wants to fit in as much into the interview as possible.

"Minho scored a 10 for his score didn't he?" Regina asks me.

"Yeah he did, honestly quite surprising since they downgraded the majority of the scores of the United Pack. I suppose that he just impressed them so much they felt they couldn't give him a lower score," I suggest.

"That means we really need to pay attention to him," Regina says with a sigh.

"Oh I don't think so, it is pretty obvious what he specialises in," I say pointing at his muscled arms.

"Besides, Hera has told me he spends all his time at the weapon stations, not the smartest of moves in my opinion, but it seems to be working for him at the moment."

"I dare say you are correct," Regina mutters as she listens to Minho's interview. Minho has the interview angle of a vicious and slightly cocky persona. He talks about how he is prepared to kill in any way required, and draw the blood of anybody that stops him or his alliance. This brings up the topic for the first time of the United Pack.

"I am not revealing too much, but we are ready for this," he says grinning sinisterly.

"You really have intrigued us Minho, please share more."

"Oh you'll find out in time," he replies snorting.

"Now tell us a little about yourself Minho."

"What is there to say really? I've lived my life surrounded by corruption and killings. I've had to do what I've needed to too survive, and I believe those things have prepared me for this as much as they possibly could," he says shrugging.

"Tell us about your family."

"My mother, she is a very sweet woman named Swan. I don't know where my father is, he could be dead or alive for all I really know. I still have an Uncle that I see, my father's brother, his name is Roman. I have asked him about my father, but he doesn't know either," he says somewhat sadly. The crowd has gone silent like they usually do in moments of tragedy that the tributes share. Minho continues on however not seeming to notice the absence of the crowd's noise.

"I used to have a girlfriend, her name was Kianna. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen until I came here. She died in the war, in a raid performed by Di-, I mean the Capitol," he says to the hushed crowd.

"I discovered after her death a son that she had not told me about, my son. His name is Skrud, and my mother currently is taking care of him," he finishes off, remarkably quieter than earlier. The crowd is now completely silent, if a drop of water spilt then I can hear it from hear it is that quiet. Instead of Midas saying words of sympathy however, he instead says something else. Something I wouldn't think suitable to ask Minho after he just said his heartfelt speech about his family.

"Minho, you said you have never seen a more beautiful person until you came to the Capitol, who is that person?" Midas asks. I groan and cover my mouth in disbelief at what Midas just asked. You absolute dipshit Midas, can you be any more cruel to these tributes emotions?

"What?" Minho asks, quickly turning his head to face Midas, appearing rather confused and panicky.

"Is it a fellow tribute perhaps?" Midas asks in continuation.

"I uh, I-I. . ." Minho stutters, looking from side to side. Luckily for him, his the bell rings and his interview has come to an end. Midas farewells Minho who awkwardly walks back to his seat, plonking down and looking annoyed with himself, or potentially Midas.

"You know what's next, right?" Regina asks with a smile. My chest instantly flutters with nerves.

"Yes, my tributes interviews," I reply, mouth twisting in concern.

"They'll be fine," Regina assures me. I would like to think that, however there is no guarantee. The crowd are about to be seated in front of a District 6 interview, so already that isn't particularly good. Not only that, but Aramid is a very. . . rebellious tribute. He openly expresses his hate for the Capitol and lately has been a tad on the edge. I found him in the bathroom about to cut of his golden locks that just graze his shoulder. All of this out of pure jealousy and the desire to be the ultimate rebel. He also hasn't held back from displaying his hatred of Atlas' success, making me feel bad since Atlas is Regina's tribute. If this continues I have no doubt he could become rather unstable.

It is not however Aramid's interview yet, instead it is actually Hera's. So as Hera is called to the stage, I gulp and pray this goes well for her.

Hera is very beautiful, I would dare say coming close to Libra in terms of popularity of looks. Maybe if Libra's features weren't so rare in the Capitol, would she be deemed prettier than Hera. She doesn't at all look like you're typical District 6 tribute, nor does Aramid for that matter. Her body is thoroughly tanned, with long straight blonde hair and sea green eyes, opposing to the typical, sky blue eyes, snowy white skin, and thick wavy raven black hair. Her features make me think she may have originally been from District 4 or 7, which would make sense since so many children from District 4 went to District 6.

District 6's colour is Race Red, with Hera's dress being that colour and wrapped tightly to her body showing all her curved. The dress is strapless and the main feature of it is a flash of blue travelling around the dress, leaving a trail behind it that makes it look like the bullet trains that District 6 create. A matching colour of red coats her lips, making them like full and vibrant.

Briefly after Midas has called upon her, Hera has made her way to the front of the stage, Midas doing his usual peck of the hand. She sits down looking rather nervous, smiling politely at the crowd and waving slightly. It seems the crowd is taken aback by the 'civilised' attitude coming from someone from District 6, so her actions earn her a hefty applause from the crowd. I realise I have been holding a breath in, so before I faint from asphyxiation, I allow the trapped air to escape, letting it whoosh out of my mouth.

"So Hera, what are your thoughts on the Capitol?" Midas asks. Thank god he isn't asking Aramid this question. Then again, I shouldn't speak so soon.

"Oh I have been intrigued this entire week from all the amazing buildings and lights, the people have been so nice to me so far and I am very thankful I have gotten to experience this," she says with detectable enthusiasm. She is playing it smart, I am so glad she is answering in the way the Capitolites would want to hear. No doubt is Midas going to be asking questions that could trigger anger with the crowd, he will be trying to catch her off guard and make her say something bad about the Capitol. Hera is smart enough to realise what she should be saying.

"That is great! What have the people been like so far? Please elaborate on that," Midas asks leaning back.

"Well, I have interacted with some really nice people that have helped me out so much and really made me feel like I could stand a chance in these games. Even if I have never met certain people, they still treat me delightfully," she says smiling.

"Anyone in particular?"

"I would have to give a shot out to my Escort Tiffany, she has helped me out so much and really led me in the right direction," she beams, looking up at me from her seat. Uh oh. Instantly the beam of light finds itself on me, and I can feel all the eyes in Panem currently resting upon my body. I feel my cheeks flushing with red, becoming significantly hotter especially as the camera also finds me. I am now on the big screen above the stage, squinting because of the light and appearing rather embarrassed. I wave politely as the crowd begin to cheer, all clapping and shouting. Is it me or do I hear a few wolf whistles here and there?

"What!? Why is she getting attention!?" I hear a voice screech through the noise. I can only assume that the complaint belonged to Isla. Not long after, the light dissipates and the cameras go back to filming the interview. It runs rather smoothly for the rest of it, with Midas being unsuccessful in tripping up Hera with any of her answers, and the crowd coming to love her. By the end of it, she has managed to make them laugh, cry, and pay attention to her as an individual tribute. I sigh in relief as she walks back to her seat, looking far calmer than she did at the start.

"See? It was fine, they loved her," Regina says with that told-you-so tone. I roll my eyes and snort.

"Kind of wish she hadn't addressed me, the whole of Panem was looking at me in that moment," I say rubbing my eyes, instantly regretting it because of the makeup I have on.

"Look on the bright side, it pissed off Isla," she says smirking. I won't deny it, it was very satisfying to hear her shout out her annoyance, that I was receiving attention and she wasn't. I nod in agreement, before realising what was about to happen.

"Oh shit, it's Aramid's turn," I almost whimper.

"He isn't stupid, he'll know what to say right?" Regina asks placing her arm on my shoulder.

"Well. . . he is a smart boy, but he can let his anger of things overpower his senses," I say wincing at the thought of him having rotten foods thrown at him from the audience. I silently squeal as Midas calls out Aramid, causing him to stand up and make his way over to the front. He looks like his everyday self, golden hair that curls in locks, porcelain skin with soft green eyes. One would think he looks like a prince from an old fairy tale, and that is exactly what he hates. His suit is the same race red, and the little blue dot also races around his clothing, leaving its streak.

He shakes Midas' hand and gruffly sits down on the plush chair. Here we go.

"Aramid, what are your thoughts on the Hunger Games?" Out of all the questions! Why must Midas ask him this one?

"I'm not exactly happy about having to go into them and all, but I can't deny that it is a creative way of punishing given the circumstances," he says kind of chortling at the end. That. . . wasn't too bad. The way he said it made it seem friendly enough. He might get through this alive after all.

"Now who would you say you have the closest bond with here?" Midas asks.

"I would have to say Hera, she has become one of my closest friends and one of the people I trust most. I know that she is looking out for me, and that is returned. She is the friend that will be with me through this, through and through," Aramid replies, surprisingly calm. These sentimental words are not left unanswered, with the crowd letting out a heartfelt 'aww' and Hera smiling with pleasure as the camera finds her.

I didn't think it was possible, but instead of angering the Capitol, Aramid is somehow managing to win them over. A warm feeling engulfs my heart, and I smile with pride, absolutely proud of how well he is doing. Midas also looks very surprised by Aramid's words, perhaps previously expecting a ranting lunatic but instead getting an actual human being. I had been through with Aramid so many times with how to reply to Midas' questions, a solid three hours at the very least. I had thought that no matter how much I told him, that he would disregard my words of wisdom and let his anger take over. Maybe I actually did get through to him, or even better, he realised it himself.

Aramid manages to get through his Interview with safe and passable answers. Once Midas farewells him, I finally can breathe easy, collapsing back into my chair. I close my eyes to relax them, realising how sore they were from the bright lights and the fact that I barley blinked due to nerves when I was watching Hera's and Aramid's Interviews. I can relax for a moment because know that we have finished 6 out of the 12 District's, we are having an Intermission.

"We are half done tonight folks! Be sure to return after the break to watch the rest of these interviews!" Midas calls out.

"Come on Tiffany, let's go and get some refreshments," Regina says, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. I smile and stand up myself, looking down below the balcony we sit on to see everybody moving about down below. I turn and join Regina in walking towards the exit, which leads down a stairwell and into the lobby.

"See? All done, there was nothing to worry about," Regina laughs. I shake my head and chuckle.

"Are you not at all worried about Atlas' and Phionex's Interview?" I ask. Regina's expression contorts into a look of consideration, a slight frown with a raised brow.

"Well Atlas I believe is planning on controlling himself, but I can't say anything for Phionex. She was quite difficult during our practice session," she says sadly as we reach the bar. She takes a glass already filled with bubbling champagne, which she sips and looks at me with.

"Aramid was the same Regina, and look how that turned out, marvellously!" I say in comparison.

"I hope it turns out that way, Phionex did say she will cooperate after she returned from her break, I feel like Atlas talked some sense into her," she says snorting.

"It's cute really, they barley know each other and they already have developed such a friendly bond," she continues on.

"Same for my tributes, I mean you heard Aramid," I point out. She nods, her eyes widening slightly.

"That was actually a really good move on his part, making the Capitol see more to him than where he was from, showing that he can actually care for people, that was smart thinking," she comments.

"I would like to say I'm responsible for that, but I'm really not," I state. We both laugh hysterically, perhaps a combination of nerves, relief and maybe alcohol on Regina's part.

"Are you sure you don't want a drink?" Regina asks.

"Positive," I nod.

"Come on, just a little, to celebrate your tributes getting through their interviews," she insists with a smile. My eyes flicker to the glasses available for the Escorts, the only people allowed in this bar besides the Gamemaker's, Stylist's, Celebrities, and Political Figures. After watching the bubbles rise up to the surface for a few seconds, my urges give in and I grab the glass.

"Fuck it, right?" I laugh, clinking it with Regina's. I raise the glass to my lips and sip the bubbly liquid. Regina pulls her glass away from her lips, eyes wide and looking behind me.

"President Satchel?" she asks with confusion. I turn around to indeed see the President's chubby physique sitting further down the bar. He sits alone, face rested on one hand looking incredibly worn and depressed. Well, he isn't so chubby anymore, in fact, he is strangely thin. His eyes have intense bags underneath them, rather purple in colour. His hair is much longer and his jowls are no longer fat enough to quiver. His hair has become intensely grey and the crow's feet and wrinkles undeniably clear. His skin also looks as if he has not seen sun in months, and a fair amount of stubble has accumulated on his face. He holds a glass of straight vodka, which he skull's without hesitation.

"Poor guy, what happened to him?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yes he has been out of sorts, as of late," a voice says. I recognise that voice. My head whips around to see Jonah Welsh, standing next to both Regina and I, tall and intimidating.

"Mr Welsh," Regina breathes. He laughs politely and smiles at us.

"Please, call me Jonah," he replies in amusement. I have not realised this whole time my jaw has been gaped open in surprise, so I shut it instantly scolding myself.

"Yes, of course Mr W-, I mean Jonah," I say flustered. I can feel my cheeks burning up again. Here I am, making a fool out of myself in front of the most powerful man on this Planet.

"There is no need to blush, I am just a man, and only a man," he tells me, staring me dead in the eye.

"Of course, my apologies," I reply sheepishly. He pauses for a moment, and smiles once again.

"Bartender!" he barks. The man serving people drinks, drops the glass he is giving Isla, causing it to break on the floor and spill on her new shoes. She lets out a cry of outrage, however the bartender doesn't take much notice, especially, since he is being spoken to by Jonah Welsh.

"Y-yes, Mr Welsh?" the man asks timidly.

"Give this lady your classiest and most expensive drink," he orders. The man nods furiously.

"Of course sir, right away!"

"No, not sir, madame," he scolds him, motioning to me.

"Yes, Madame," the bartender corrects himself. The man is quick to serve me a beverage, silvery green in colour.

"Tequila Ley .925, the most expensive alcoholic drink in the world, at a price of $3,500,000 of course, and it is on the house," Jonah says softly. I gasp in awe at the diamond encrusted, circular bottle, with a rimmed pattern on the side that reminds me of a sea shell.

"Why, would you do this for me?" I ask astounded. He laughs curtly and shrugs.

"You have caught my eye, Miss Altite. I feel you are very valuable to this event," he informs me. I feel dizzy, maybe from the Champagne, or the fact that the Vice President of Panem just bought me the most expensive alcoholic beverage in the world, or maybe a combination of the two. Before I can say anymore however, Jonah receives a notification on his tablet. He glances at it, instantly frowning, and looking back at us.

"Have the liquor whenever you may feel like it, and do enjoy your evening Ladies, we will speak again," he says quickly. He makes eye contact with me specifically, before turning and striding off into an undisclosed location. I expect Regina to say something about what just happened, as I am too dumbfounded to say anything of it. However, that is not what she does at all. Regina looks at her tablet as well. She must have received a notification that I didn't hear. Her eyes scroll to the side a couple of times, before lighting up in an instant.

"Tiffany," she says excitedly, and rather hushed.

"Yes?" I mumble, still in shock. What she says next causes me to go into even more shock.

"Fighting, riots, uprising. . . in District 6."

. . .

**Remember to check out The Fall of Andromeda by Tom137!**


	29. Vince: Mixed Emotions

**Author's Note:**

**This chapter is going to be a bit different to the other Interview chapters. Many of the tributes will be doing the same thing, lying, hiding, and not really giving too much about themselves. Since Vince isn't an extremely observant person like Liesel or Tiffany, the interviews will likely be mentioned that are memorable to Vince, or have some relation to him as he is narrating this chapter.**

**Also guys, don't be surprised if the next three chapters, including this one, are a bit shorter than the others. The remaining tributes yet to have their whole chapter have still had a POV in the Hunt Trial, so they still get a fair bit.**

**I am dreadfully sorry if your tributes interview is not mentioned nearly as well as others, but doing this will ensure no repetitiveness. Hope you guys enjoy the final interview chapter, with only three chapters left after this until we hit the games! Sorry if this seems rushed!**

**. . .**

**Vince Rojarze, 18, D10:**

I let out a gush of air as we once again walk onto the stage. I am once again forced to be blinded by a stampede of coloured and flashing lights, deafened by loud and heavy music sounding as if a speaker has been planted directly next to both of my ears, the crowd adding to the chaos as we file out onto the stage, waving and smiling like we did at the beginning.

_It's likely this will be the last time they will see any of us like this, potentially even me, _I think to myself as I flash a casual grin and wave out at the hyper crowd. I am usually a calm guy, pretty friendly, pretty cheerful, I'll admit that. However even I can't deny the toll these Games will have on me.

The thought has passed through my mind that the crowd may be this excited because some of us will be dying tomorrow and all of us except one will have died by the end of it. So yes, I do think it is a possibility that they are prematurely celebrating our deaths. Only a possibility though, they hopefully aren't.

I climb the steps until I have reached the third row, my seat being on the very end on the left when looking out at the crowd. So far 12 people have survived their Interviews, although Danix did barley with that breakdown. 3 people out of our alliance, the United, have performed their interview, each one surprisingly going well since they are from certain District's. It has been a long and tiresome night, and I dearly hope my fatigue doesn't affect my interview. With my luck, I won't be at all tired later on tonight, when I should be getting rest before entering the arena.

My chest flutters, a chill rocketing down my spine as I think about entering this arena. Tomorrow, it has finally come. Maybe a small part of me didn't consider it to be real, putting it in a purgatory of denial. It just didn't feel real, the idea they would really do this to us. Yet, there is no stopping it.

My thoughts are cut short when Cassia sits down next to me, rigid and pale like before. I feel sorry for her, twelve years old, talking to the entirety of Panem, with the Capitol directly in front of her, sitting next to Fletcher that according to her has a vendetta against her, and having to enter a game where people die tomorrow. This isn't the world a 12 year old should be living in.

Fletcher has been giving her maniacal stares all night, and that only makes me worry for her more. She tells me that this hatred against her came from when she managed to evade him in the Hunt Trial, escaping and basically sending him on a wild goose chase. That would explain what in the final room, the very centre of the maze. I remember Fletcher had been specifically targeting her, and eventually caught her causing her to come second overall, as the other two that were left, Rhode and Theia, both won.

The guy is psychotic enough to let that introduce an everlasting grudge against her that can only be relieved by her death? That is another reason why Fletcher is undoubtedly one of the biggest threats in this competition. Plus the fact that he received a 12 for his score and all, that helps to define him as a distinct threat.

Once everyone has been seated, Midas comes bouncing out onto the stage once again. He looks freshly coated with more makeup, and even more excitable than before. His face is smiling widely, showing his two rows of shiny white teeth. He waves and winks at the crowd like earlier, before bowing and sitting back down on the interviewer's chair.

"Welcome back Panem, once again to the Annual Hunger Games Interview Night!" he calls out to the crowd, and the cameras. He is rewarded with an immense round of applause, many of the people jumping up and trying to be noticed.

"Now let's jump back into it with lovely Phionex Blast from District 7!" he shouts, clapping as the crowd cheer. My eyes widen as I properly examine Phionex for the first time tonight. For the entirety of the night, my impending interview has been on my mind, and I have really only paid attention to the interviews I deemed as important. Now that I have been refreshed with the break, I am able to focus on the first interview. It just so happens to be Phionex. And she looks beautiful.

District 7's colour that they were assigned appears to be green, likely representing their lumber production. Her hair is long and wavy, it's usual extremely dark brown still unchanged. A ring of vibrant green clovers circle her head, and the green in her eyes is very prominent. Her skin is slightly tanned, and her lips look smooth and full, with an almond brown colour.

The dress itself has the effect of healthy green leaf patterns, etched along the whole of the dress. Her shoes are the same colour as her lips, likely to accent the green to look like wood. She literally looks like Mother Nature, or something of the sorts. My body tingles as she walks over to Midas, looking relatively majestic when the stage lights reflect off of her. Is it just me, or does it look like there is early morning dew droplets over her dress?

I expect Phionex to be very blunt, very sarcastic, and very sassy. I mean, during training, all she would ever talk about was how she hated the Capitol, how she would use her interview as an opportunity to express her hatred and tell them all how horrible they are. Instead, that is not what we get at all. Phionex is actually cooperating with Midas, being very relaxed and easy going. Honestly, I am really happy that she is being so passive. The way she is talking now, reminds me of the chats we would have at training, the jokes I would crack with her cute laugh following it. I am reminded of the time I made water squirt out her nose, she laughed that hard at something I had said. I don't remember what I had said, it didn't seem important back then. Now I realise how valuable those memories can be. If I'm going to be spending my last couple of days in this arena, I want to remember the good things that have happened in my life, and Phionex is one of them.

"Phionex, do you think you will kill in the arena?" Phionex takes a deep breath before answering, looking rather uncomfortable with the question. Eventually she cocks her head slightly and looks at Midas.

"I do not want to, at all. But I'm sure at some point, if it comes down to it, I may not have a choice," she says, sighing sadly.

"We trust, that you'll do what you must," Midas says, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving her a piteous look. The bell rings and the crowd jump up to applaud Phionex. Both Midas and herself and up, with Midas farewelling Phionex in the same fashion as everyone else, and sending her off with a smile. As she walks back to her seat, her eyes make brief contact with mine, causing me to give her a supportive smile, and causing her to blush.

She really is mesmerising, I am so lucky to have met her. I watch as she sits down next to Atlas, looking at him briefly with eyes widened, and her lips in a circled shape to give off the notion that she is breathing out in relief. I cannot tell what she says to him, but from her lip movement I get the idea it is a simple 'good luck'. Directly after that, Midas calls out for Atlas to join him at the front of the stage. The crowd screams in applause, in fact, I can make out quite a few women screaming. Of course it doesn't compare to Haim's or Danix's applause, but it still leaves an impact.

Atlas has quite a normal suit, except with the same green colour as Phionex's and the same leaf patterns etched all over it. He sits down stiffly on the chair after quickly shaking Midas' hand. Atlas appears rather concerned, nervous, scared even. His eyes are slightly wider than usual, his skin a tad paler. I know from the first time I met Atlas, when we were in the elevator, he isn't a very talkative person, well at least not on the first occasion. Of course me being me, I am rather extroverted, so I had no problem with being the one to talk. He opened up eventually, now we are pretty good friends, especially with how close I have become with Phionex.

Now here he is, in an awkward first encounter with the entirety of the Capitol in front of him. He is likely looking as nervous as he due to this, or perhaps just due to the Games tomorrow. Even though I know that Atlas can hold his own, he still could be nervous for all I know.

Atlas' interview is kind of what I expect it to be. He isn't overly talkative, with it being hard to get any real answer out of him. There is no rebel rant however, which I definitely expected. Both tributes from District 7, managed to hold back their true emotions. Unless, they are perhaps mixed now. If Atlas has mixed emotions about his anger towards the Capitol, I don't know what that means for the rest of the United.

"Can you tell us about your family Atlas?" Midas asks. I see Atlas' face scrunch up slightly, maybe even a dangerous glint appear in his shifting eyes. He straightens up slightly, before his eyes appear to land on the camera, and then the awaiting crowd. The pause is brief, and shortly after, he almost grunts an answer.

"My mother was a lovely woman, very beautiful. My father was my role model, the greatest man I ever knew," he says quickly, perhaps hoping to change the subject.

"Did you say was Atlas? What happened to your mother and father?" Atlas' eyes harden, flitting directly at Midas. His jaw stiffens and he slowly blinks, still looking at him. Before Atlas is expected to answer however, the bell dings and his interview finishes. Part of me is happy that his interview finished, so he didn't have to answer. The other part of me however, knows that it means it's one closer to mine. My foot taps furiously on the floor, causing a vibration with each contact of the hard sleek metal. I know that I previously mentioned that I am extroverted and out there, but still, when pitted against the Capitol, well, I dare say anyone would slightly freak out. I glance at Fletcher who cracks his knuckles in anticipation.

Almost anyone.

"Let's welcome to the stage, the beauty, the lovely, Libra Spindle of District 8!" Midas' voice jolts me back into concentration. It's Libra's turn. I know I said Phionex looked beautiful, but. . . there is no denying, Libra is otherworldly. The tiara of purple flowers on her head literally make her look like a goddess of nature. I gasp, as do some of the other tributes when she stands up and steps onto the main stage. It is a similar situation to before, I had been too busy being worried about my impending interview to concentrate on the other tributes my talkative self being the quietest it had in a while. So I am only seeing Libra now. She looks more nervous than anyone that has gone up yet, her smile very shy as she waves at the crowd. Her eyes dart all over the place, as of mesmerised by all the attention she is receiving. Many wolf whistles can be heard from the crowd, instantly causing her to blush and look down at her feet.

She reaches Midas who attentively takes her hand and gives it more of a smooch rather than a peck. Her eyes go wider and she pulls back her arm in bewilderment. I notice that my mouth has been open for an excessive amount of time, a sliver of drool on the brink of leaving my mouth. I instantly close it, rather annoyed at myself and how inappropriate doing something like that is.

Her interview starts off with copious amounts of compliments, the crowd roaring in agreement with each one. I learn from each one that Libra is apparently very new to this attention, and politely rejects the compliments due to her not believing them. If only she knew, she literally had every man in the Capitol wrapped around her finger and she in no way had the mind to take advantage of that. What can I say? She is too gentle-hearted. Honestly, I would be the same. I couldn't take advantage of anyone because of how I look. As I think this, my respect for Libra surges even higher than it would have been before.

I would say her interview went fairly well, it wasn't however so much about her, and her life back in District 8, but instead about her looks, her relationships with the other tributes, and just. . . rather inappropriate questions. It is honestly quite unfair, and I feel bad for Libra, on the bright side, she got through it in one piece.

The crowd are fairly sad to see Libra go, with her receiving one of the loudest rounds of applause so far. Libra appears overwhelmed by the support and the admiration she is receiving from the crowd. She stands still, allowing Midas to give her an 'extra' long hug, before he lets her go and allows her to walk back to her seat. After her interview, she comes back to the stand, looking embarrassed, with an intense blush situated around her face. Libra is one of the few people I can relate to here. She isn't as talkative as me, but she is one of the most innocent, polite, and friendly people. I don't want her to have to enter the arena, for her innocence to be taken away by having to kill someone.

Hopefully Rexx can take the responsibility to keep her from needing to do that. Speaking of Rexx, it is now his interview. The last United member besides myself to go in front of Panem. Rexx is similar to Libra, quiet, genuine, even his features are similar due to being from District 8. Rexx, however, is very smart. I know it, he is one of the smartest tributes here, and he is the person that can take down Dayta, that can take down Rhode, that can take down Theia.

He shares the same colour of purple as Libra. The suit is entirely the shade of violet, while his shirt is simple and black. His tie is also the same colour of purple, making him look very formal. Their suit doesn't have much of a special effect, but instead very delicate stitching that reflects their textile industry. The suit must be made out of some rare and rich material, because the women go crazy over it in the crowd, or perhaps over him. I do hear a few mentions of the fabric however, so it might be a combination. His hair is the same dark black, which is thick and curls with length. His skin is the same pale snowy tone, and his eyes are a grey tinge if blue. The suit also brings out the colour in his eyes, almost looking purple. Honestly, Libra and Rexx look like brother and sister, District 8 citizens just seem to share many features. Then again, who am I to talk, District 10 do as well.

Despite the nerves that Rexx is undoubtedly displaying, he still comes across as calm, sophisticated, intelligent, causing his interview to go very smoothly. He is very friendly with Midas, and the crowd seem to absolutely love Rexx. Midas even at one point asks if Libra and himself are somehow long lost siblings.

"No, we are not Midas, just close friends," he chuckles. His friendly demeanour definitely plays in his favour, and has definitely made an impact on the Capitol, potentially making him another favourite of many. If Rexx can do this, I can surely come across as likeable enough for them, right? Rexx's interview finishes and he is bid farewell, meaning we are moving on to District 9.

I cannot say Ancora's interview goes very well. She is dressed up in a golden dress, the material looking like stalks of grain are blowing in the wind. It looks similar to their Chariot costume, but I don't blame the Stylist's, what else can you really do with grain? The entire interview, Ancora sits with folded arms. She has a cross look on her face, and answers extremely bluntly when answered a question.

"Ancora, what do you believe your odds are of winning?"

"I don't care. I'm not taking part in this stupid competition. I would rather die than play by your rules," she spits. The crowd murmurs with disapproval, while Midas flashes an uneasy look at the camera. I watch as he lifts his wrist to his face, perhaps trying to make it look like he is wiping his nose, however I see him muttering into his watch. Briefly after that, I hear the bell ding maybe a minute early.

"Ahh, that's some bad luck, good luck in the arena Ancora!" he calls out quickly, without doing his usual hug. Ancora storms back to her seat, face contorted in her usual frown.

Fletcher is much more of a hit with the Capitol, coming across as very smug, bloodthirsty, and dangerous. He laughs loudly, bragging about how he is going to destroy every one of us.

"Let me say, what you have created Welsh, it is genius. These whole games, are an opportunity for people like me, to finally legally get their bloodlust, in oh so satisfying manners." He says this while gripping Midas' shoulder, apparently very tightly because Midas' looks like he is in pain. The crowd however scream out their approval, causing Fletcher to allow a rather sinister looking smile creep onto his face.

"Want a particular tribute dead? Want them dead in a specific way? Just tell me and it will be done, without hesitation. There are no limits for me, I am willing to go all the way!" he roars, earning the love of the crowd. The other tributes look horrified, disgusted, and some almost sickly. Cassia has even backed up into her chair as much as possible. Fletchers words have made me sick to the stomach, I actually think I'm close to vomiting. That and the added pressure of my interview are too much to handle. These emotions, have all mixed into one big catastrophe in my stomach. I clamp my jaw shut, and refuse to let the bile reach my throat. It's a while until I think I am okay. When I open my eyes, Cassia's interview is finishing up. No, oh god. Was I really trying to calm myself down for that long?

I look at Cassie, and she looks frozen. She walks back stiffly, while Midas looks at her sympathetically. I don't want to do this.

"Please welcome to the stage, Vince Rojarze of District 10!"

Fuck.

My head spins as I stand up. I feel like I am having a head rush after lying down for too long. I take a deep breath and pep talk my way through this.

_Okay Vince, first step, don't make yourself look like a complete idiot in front of this crowd. It will result in your embarrassment. So what you need to do, is walk straight. Don't trip, never mind the dizziness. Just. Don't. Fall. _

I walk across the stage, being extra careful to not trip on any wires or something like that. I notice there is a buzzing noise in my ears, droning and constant.

_That is the crowd Vince. They are cheering for you, so respond to them and act like your usual self._

Instinctively, I allow myself to grin, while raising my hand to wave back at them.

_Very good, they now know that you are friendly, that they can like you unlike Ancora. Now sit down on the chair after shaking your hand with Midas._

I take Midas' hand and give it a firm shake, which he returns with a warm smile.

"Vince, how are you feeling tonight?"

"I'm feeling good Midas, a little nervous but still fine," I reply. _Liar, your feeling much more than a little nervous._

"How have you enjoyed your time here Vince?"

"I have really enjoyed, I have met some great people and experienced too many new things I never would have thought I would have the opportunity to experience."

"What has been your favourite thing about the Capitol?"

"The city itself, it's so big and ravishing, it's almost unfathomable to someone that has never been here if you are describing it to them."

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?"

"Very nervous, probably the most nervous I have ever been. It is really hard to think that I could just be dead in the next week."

"What do you believe your odds are?"

"I feel I can get far enough, but there is no saying if I have what it takes to win. I can only hope."

"Last question Vince, are you ready to kill?" he looks at me expectantly, and I cannot help but gulp.

"I'm sure if it comes down to it, I'll do what I have to do to survive." The bell rings and that ends my interview. A wave of relief comes crashing over me, knowing that I have gotten through likely the hardest thing that I would have to in the Capitol. I even grin in relief as I stand up and shake Midas' hand once again in farewell. It seemed so quick, I know it was longer than it seemed, but it was just a blur to me.

I find myself at my seat again, causing Midas to call out Naomi. Now that my interview is over, I just want to leave. Have the tributes from District 1 had to feel like this the entire time? I sit back and prepare to endure another four interviews. It wouldn't be half as bad if they were somewhat interesting, but really they aren't. Naomi is about as nervous as Cassie was, Quinn reveals literally nothing about himself, Dana acts similarly to Ancora, Whent's is probably the most entertaining. He shares some of his backstory quite calmly. He is friendly and cheerful, despite sharing that he thinks he stands no chance in this.

"Why spend the last few days of your life being mopey when you can live it instead?" So philosophical Whent.

"Now as this night finally comes to an end, I am pleased to inform you that it is Whent's 15th birthday today, so we all wish you a Happy Birthday Whent!" Midas says while patting him on the back. The crowd shouts out their own wishes of a Happy Birthday causing Whent to blush slightly. That is downright wrong. Whent is having to go into an arena of death, for his birthday? That is horrible. I clap politely as I wait for Midas to farewell us all. Instead of doing that, the Capitol Anthem begins to play. We all stand, every person here tonight, placing a hand over their heart. This was the nationwide tribute to the survival of the Old World. We have all grown accustomed to it, and despite the Capitol adopting it as their own, we all still cannot help but do what we have grown up being taught.

The music blares from the speakers, reaching about halfway through the song. That's when things start to go wrong. The music becomes static, managing to come back a few times before eventually becoming plain static. The giant screen above the stage that would have been showing the Capitol Seal like it was on our screen, appears to have become static as well as ours. The crowd murmurs in confusion, the tributes glancing at each other in question. Midas looks confused, head turning to random areas, possibly looking for an explanation.

Suddenly all the lights go out, causing the crowd and some of the tributes to scream. Whent backs away from the centre of the stage, finally making it back to the stand. All I can see is random shadows, with the static on the giant screen being the only source of light in the vicinity. Until it shows something else. The screen changes to a man, with ash black hair, pale skin, and hard blue eyes. The background shows a lot of commotion, with fires, shouting, and long tall pikes coming out of the ground. I notice that several Peacekeepers have been impaled on the pikes blood dripping from their lifeless bodies.

"Jonah Welsh." The man says. Nobody says a word, all too scared to speak.

"You remember me? I'm sure you do. I'm also sure you think you have won. The war has not finished. We won't stop until you are dead. We invade you as I speak. I am Augrillian Shire, and we are District 6. We are stopping this madness at once."

The broadcast stops, and all hell breaks loose.


	30. Rhode: Reviewing the Condemned

**Author's Note:**

**We are getting there! I'm so excited, I've got so much planned that I cannot wait to write about! We don't have long left at all now, exactly two chapters remain after you have read this one. I honestly don't have much more to say here other than two things.**

**I am so sorry that I seem to miss little typos in the chapter. Often I am very worn out from finishing the chapter and I scan over it for mistakes. But sometimes I miss the little things like when the word is meant to be 'of' instead of 'if', and the other way around. Other times there might be a word missing or simply a few words that ruin the flow of the sentence because they are not in the right context. I will make sure I don't do this in the future! (watch me still miss some lol, I'm not stupid!)**

**The other thing is, this is long overdue, but I cannot for the life of me find out what the lines are that separate paragraphs in SYOT's. It's embarrassing really, but I just don't know. I've often just put nothing there which makes it look kind of messy, so recently I've been separating the Author's Note with three dots. Can someone PLEASE tell me what the line is that I can use to separate paragraphs? Now let's move onto the story!**

**. . .**

**Rhode Nerida, 18, D4:**

It is still very dark, the large and obnoxious screen no longer displaying anything, therefore any proper source of light being absent aside from the outfits of the tributes from District 3 and 5. Despite the lack of light, I can still see the people move. All of them, as frantic as each other, shout and scream in terror as the try to evacuate with their loved ones. I watch as a pack of four Peacekeepers march onto the stage, easier to see with their bright white armoured uniform. They surround Midas and escort him quickly away from the stage. I assume this is because he may be a target of the rebels for promoting the Hunger Games.

The only people that have not moved an inch, are in fact the 24 of us tributes. All of us sit silently, some likely to be considerably confused, others perhaps excited by these events. That may be because we don't exactly have anything to fear about the rebels coming to the Capitol. This would be the perfect opportunity to escape. Right now, any of us can just run, blend in with the crowd, and leave forever. Why does nobody do that? I can only assume nobody is ballsy enough to do it. Or perhaps nobody is even considering that right now, as we are too fascinated by the current situation.

Is this some sort of joke? Is this reality? I wouldn't know, District 4 didn't get involved with the rebellion, so we never experienced anything like this. No explosions, no people screaming and needing to evacuate buildings, it is all very new to Danix and I. Even now, he has stopped his breakdown and is looking around with a look of utmost confusion.

The crowd that are yet to escape yet, plus a few of the tributes now, all scream as a distant explosion can be heard, that rattles the building and makes dust fall from the ceiling. That won't be the only explosion I hear tonight, because as the man on the screen said, Augrillian he called himself, District 6 were coming.

Gunshots fire from outside, some close to our destination, others further away. Either way, some of the tributes shield their head. The noises of the firearms and explosions are drowned out by a repetitive thundering that gets closer with every second. The cause of the thundering is a group of Peacekeepers, all marching to the 24 of us on stage.

They stop directly in front of us, carrying a portable stage light so we can see them. One man steps forward, looking like the highest ranking Peacekeeper out of all of them. I can only guess that he may be in charge.

"Listen up tributes!" he barks, drawing the already trained attention of us to him.

"This is only a slight disturbance, we will be getting you back to your rooms safely," he says with a gruff tone that belongs to a military commander.

"This is only a 'slight', disturbance?" Haim questions.

"Indeed it is District 1, everything will still go ahead as planned. You will all depart at 10:00 am tomorrow morning," the man shouts. Most of us groan in annoyance, some even wail in sadness.

"Please! Just let us live! We haven't done anything!" Naomi cries out, eyes brimming with tears.

"We can't let you do that," the man replies in a snide voice, smirking at Naomi as she sobs.

"You, have to please the Capitol, you have play their game."

"All of you are evil!" Phionex shouts at the man. The Peacekeeper doesn't respond, but instead laughs at Phionex's words.

"Get them out of here," he instructs the twenty or so Peacekeepers behind him. Simultaneously, they stride forward, placing their hands on the shoulders of various tributes, and gently escorting them away. About 5 of the Peacekeepers escort Fletcher away, while another 3 take Nero. Otherwise, the other ones take both tributes from the same District. In particular, a woman in her early twenties, with sky blue eyes, tanned skin and dark red hair, takes both Danix and I. She leads us the same way we came from to originally get up onto the stage. Surprisingly, she isn't forceful, but gentle. I could argue that she is only being gentle because we are precious cargo until we are in the arena, however I get the vibe she may genuinely be doing it out of good nature. She even makes conversation on the way to the exit.

"Are you feeling better?" she asks Danix. Danix glances at her, blinking in surprise at how nice she is being.

"Uh, well a little I suppose, but not by much at the moment," he mumbles, looking down at the floor.

"You seem really sweet Danix, you shouldn't have been treated by your father like that, and Midas was wrong to have been pushing those questions onto you," she says sympathetically. I eye her with suspicion, constantly growing more wary of her by the moment.

"Since when do you Peacekeepers care about us?" I ask with heavy venom to it. She looks at me and smiles, letting out a chuckle.

"What is so funny?" I ask with increasing annoyance.

"I'm human too you know," she replies.

"But your still from the Capitol," I tell her.

"That is when you're wrong, I'm actually not," she replies, looking triumphant.

"Then where are you from?" I ask in annoyance.

"District 2," she says proudly.

"District 2?" Danix asks sounding confused.

"Born and raised," the woman confirms.

"Then what is your name?" I ask.

"Dakota," she informs me.

"Doesn't exactly sound like a District 2 name," I say crossing my arms.

"It's what my mother named me apparently, she was from the Capitol. My father said she had to return to the Capitol and she never came back," she says somewhat sadly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Danix says with pity.

"Don't worry about it, it's just life," she replies as we arrive to the cars. The explosions can be heard more clearly now, as can the gun fire.

"Good luck guys, was nice meeting you," she says with a smile.

"You too," Danix responds, returning the friendly smile. I just glare at her until she disappears with the rest of the Peacekeepers.

"Number 1 rule of survival Danix," I state, still staring at the direction Dakota walked off in.

"What's that?" he asks.

"Don't trust anybody," I say bluntly as I open the limousine door and step inside. I sit myself down on the same seat as before, while Danix sits across from me. He is rather tall so he has to be careful not to slam his head on the ceiling.

"That applies, to the real world too, not just the arena," I continue, crossing one leg over the other.

"Don't you have an ally?" Danix asks as he smooths out his suit.

"Oh yes, I do have an ally, doesn't mean I trust her," I smirk. He looks up at me, scratching the back of his head.

"Then why did you ally with Dana?" Danix asks me.

"She may be valuable, but I won't stick around with her. Once we get to the halfway mark, I'll ditch her," I say in a bored tone.

"You think it will even get to a halfway point?" he asks.

"Of course," I reply.

"What if nobody kills anyone?" he asks with an eyebrow raised. This question makes me snort. I shake my head in amusement and look back at him.

"Danix, people will kill each other. When their own life is at risk, they will go to extreme measures to ensure that they survive. The concept of killing will be new to them, however they will adjust. You really think Fletcher won't kill someone? Or Haim? Or Theia?" I ask him. He bites his upper lip, gulping from the concept of one of the people we have been living with for the past week, would do such a thing. Yes, they would.

"I thought so," I say crossing my arms.

"My ally, she wouldn't kill," he mutters.

"I beg to differ, she is from District 5, she will kill anyone that she has to," I say in a factual tone. He shakes his head in denial, reminding me of his breakdown on stage. This causes me to roll my eyes.

_Oh god, don't tell me I am causing him to have another meltdown._

"Laelia won't kill, I won't kill," he manages to murmur.

"Okay Danix, say you were in the final two, going up against. . . say you were going up against Hera. How exactly do you expect to win, if you aren't going to kill her? There are no more tributes alive to kill Hera, and I'm just going to assume at this point she would have killed some people. What are you going to do?" I ask him. He looks at me, eyes twitching and perspiration visible on his forehead. He opens his mouth, stuttering a couple of unintelligible words before giving up.

"See? You haven't thought this through," I say in satisfaction.

"W-what, so you are planning on killing?" he asks defiantly. I smile at him, having waited for this question to come up. I think this makes him think that I will, causing him to instantly back up.

"You will!?" he says in fear.

"What? No you idiot, I don't hurt other people. Mutts? Sure. Animals? No problem. People? I will not lay a hand on."

"Then how are _you _going to win if you won't kill?" he asks. This causes me to smile again.

"Unlike yourself, Danix, I have thought this through. I have a plan, and it will work perfectly," I inform him. His mouth twists in confusion, accompanied by furrowed eyebrows.

"You have a plan that will win you this whole thing?" Danix asks.

"Yes, and I won't have to kill a single person," I reply. He grabs a glass of champagne from the table beside him, sipping from it and looking a tad calmer than before, as if it calmed him down. Ah, that's right, his father is an alcoholic, so he is always around alcohol, like father like son I guess.

"With the point's you just made, is that even possible?" he asks. I nod my head.

"Damn right it is possible, and I'm going to do it," I reply.

"What is it? Escape the arena?" he snorts, taking another sip of his champagne.

"No, they wouldn't make it possible," I say shaking my head.

"You'll see Danix, well that's if you live long enough to find out," I say with a chortle. This inflicts nerves upon Danix, making him take another long sip from the glass. We have only been in the limousine for about 5 minutes at the least, meaning we still had a while before we would make it back to the Tribute Tower. We are also travelling rather slowly, maybe to evade the danger of the explosions and gunfire I can hear from outside. With the sudden lack of talking, the sounds of warfare are a lot more prominent, sounding far closer than before. It truly sounds like District 6 are hammering some places.

I switch on the TV screen, in hopes of finding out some news or information about the current events. As I flip through the channels, I realise they may be showing nothing in relation to the current attacks. The government trying to cover it up? Maybe, either way, the more I change the channel, the more I realise they continue to show recaps of the Interviews.

"They are trying to divert the citizen's attention away from the attacks, and back to the Hunger Games. They are showing how important it is and how serious they are about it," I say out loud.

"Really?" Danix asks.

"Really," I confirm.

"I don't exactly want to watch the interviews again, they just give me bad memories," Danix complains, rubbing his temples. He suddenly looks up, apparently granted with some sort of thought or idea.

"Should we discuss how the other tributes went?" he asks. My eyebrow raises in question.

"What, like review what we have learnt from them?" I ask.

"Yeah. . . I guess. Just to pass the time," he says awkwardly. I consider this for a moment, before sighing and straightening up my position.

"Fine, whatever."

"Okay, well what have you gathered on Theia?" he asks me.

"District 1 first of course," I say bitterly.

"Theia, is very dangerous. She got a good score, she is smart, she is observant, and apparently she might have someone here that she takes some interest in," I say in a monotone voice.

"Do you think she will win?" Danix asks.

"No! I will win," I argue.

"Haim," he says changing the topic.

"Haim is too cocky to win. I guarantee he will be one of the first to fall," I say firmly.

"I disagree," Danix rebuts.

"Why?" I ask.

"Haim may be cocky, but he has reason to be so. He is psychotic, bloodthirsty, willing to kill anyone. This isn't a game where the heroes win. This is a game where favourites can get killed off at any moment, and the bad guys could win after all. The strongest survive, and it wouldn't surprise me if it is him," Danix says. I give Danix a look of interest.

"Strangely poetic of you to say Danix," I say in surprise. He shrugs in response.

"Hey, it's the truth," he says.

"Then what are your thoughts on Ladonna?" I challenge him.

"She is strong in terms of physicality, but mentally, she struggles. Logic and emotions are the weak spots in Ladonna," he says.

"Do you think she stands a chance though?" I ask.

"Compared to others, probably not. Unless she proves that she is capable enough. Then again, who am I to speak?" he says with his head ducked in shame. He looks up at me, face rather blank.

"Your thoughts?" he asks me.

"She won't make it far at all, yet alone win," I laugh.

"What about Nero though?" Danix asks.

"He is uncontrollable, he lacks sense and reason, and so he will die. Pretty soon as well I assume," I say.

"Your thoughts on Nero?" I ask. He shakes his head and looks at me.

"You pretty much summed it all up for me," he mutters.

"Liesel?" I continue.

"Smart, dangerous, she won the Pillar Trial-"

"And came close to winning the Hunt Trial," I add. He rolls his eyes.

"You only won because Fletcher chose to eliminate someone else over you," he retorts.

"You're only here because you are terrified of your father," I snap back at him. Danix flinches at the mention of his father, mood instantly becoming mopey. Maybe that was uncalled for, he is already emotionally damaged as is. I should probably switch the conversation.

"Sorry," I say awkwardly, not used to the gesture of apologies. He shakes his head sadly.

"Don't be, all I am is a bitch, a punching bag, a nobody," he says bitterly.

"What about Dayta?" I ask trying to get his attention away from his self-proclaimed failure of a life.

"Smart and gifted, probably is adored by his own father," Danix spits. I throw my arms up in defeat.

"That's it I give up," I wail, facing a direction away from Danix. I stare out the tinted windows seeing lights here and there, but not being able to make out specific objects. I wallow in annoyance at Danix, grinding my teeth to stop myself from letting out a violent outburst. The limousine is silent, causing me to remember why we started talking in the first place. To drown out the noises from outside. Well, now they have returned, full throttle by piercing my ears with every shot, and vibrating the vehicle with every explosion. I close my eyes, wishing for it to stop, wishing to arrive back at the Tribute Tower so I can stray away from all the commotion.

Eventually, through all of the noise, I hear a voice. Danix's voice. It sounds reluctant, yet determined to be heard. I listen to it, for a distraction away from the noise of war.

"Laelia is my friend. My ally. She is bitter, hostile to most, but she won't kill, I know it."

"Minho is a sub leader to the United Pack, and is going to be very hard to beat. He is good at combat, and will be willing to kill."

"Hera is just as much of a rebel as the others. She is good at fighting, smart, and beautiful."

"Aramid is the angriest out of the lot, driven by rage most likely conjured of hate for the Capitol. He is also great at combat."

"Phionex is a very passionate rebel, she is reasonably good at fighting and is seen as very important to their alliance in terms of motivation. She and Vince may have some sort of a relationship as they spend all their time together."

"Atlas is the leader of their alliance, and what holds them all together. He is great at combat and will be difficult to beat."

"Libra is obviously the Capitols favourite, the most beautiful girl out of the tributes, and is the voice of reason for their alliance. Very innocent and smart, she may be able to get through this thing on sponsorships alone."

"Rexx is the quiet one. He is one of the biggest mysteries, but he is smart, and pretty good at combat from what I have seen."

"Ancora doesn't care about her life, as long as she defies the Capitol as much as possible."

"Fletcher is the biggest threat and will be the toughest to take down. He is psychotic, maniacal, driven by lunacy."

"Cassia is small, but very fast on her feet, great at climbing and even evaded Fletcher in the Hunt Trial which caused myself to get eliminated."

"Vince is far too nice, rarely letting his anger consume him. He is strong and well liked in the United Pack so will be difficult to get to."

"Naomi is the leader of her own alliance, and very sweet and innocent. She is resourceful, street smart, and fairly good with the bow."

"Quinn we know little to nothing about, and is very secretive. He may be a threat as he revealed nothing the entire time in the Capitol."

"Dana, like you said, is very much like yourself, maybe not so good in combat, or intelligence, but definitely attitude wise."

"Whent may be one of the weakest tributes in the Hunger Games, he got eliminated first in the Pillar Trial, a pretty terrible score, and is good at nothing really."

Danix says all of this with a forced tone, coming across as very blunt by the end. However, once he has finished speaking, I lift up my head so my eyes can meet his.

"Woah. You actually are kind of observant," I say rather impressed, yet mildly amused.

"I want to win this thing as well Rhode, it's best to know you're competition." I open my mouth to answer, however I am stopped by a force that rockets me sideways. I am about to prepare myself to fight back, until I realise that it is simply the limousine stopping at a halt. Danix is gripping the seats with a concerned expression, while I rub my elbow which I idiotically banged against the wall of the vehicle when I was trying to stop myself from tumbling to the front.

"What the fuck is going on?" I say in spite.

"I think we are at the Tribute Tower," Danix says quietly.

"Good, I don't have to be stuck in this stuffy vehicular prison anymore," I say sarcastically.

"Rhode, Danix, come quickly!" a man calls as I step out of the limousine. My eyes land on Drake, our Escort, striding at a fast pace towards us. Danix stumbles out of the limousine and bumps into my back, causing me to turn around and glare at him. He holds up his hands timidly, face looking surprised.

"Sorry Rhode, that was an accident," he pleads. I shake my head and turn back to face Drake. Pathetic, Danix needs to man up.

"Come, follow me," he says quickly, placing his hand on my shoulder and softly leading me away. This reminds me of Dakota, the Peacekeeper we encountered earlier.

"What the fuck is going on?" I question Drake, sounding as if I'm interrogating him.

"We are safe for now," Drake informs us as we enter the sliding glass doors to the building. Usually the outside is full of reporters, paparazzi, and ordinary Capitol citizens hoping to catch a glimpse of the tributes. Currently, it is empty of those factors, only being occupied by cars of other tributes, many Peacekeepers that are roaming the street, and the Escorts that have come to pick their tributes up.

"That doesn't answer her question Drake, and I'm curious as well," Danix speaks up, jogging to the side of us in order to catch up. Drake sighs and closes his eyes, opening them shortly after and looking at us.

"As you probably already know, the Capitol was just under attack by District 6. It wasn't a full scale attack, more so just decoy explosions. What it was, was a warning. District 6 have rioted once again, and they plan on trying to issue a full scale attack at some point," Drake informs us.

"Do we know of when that point will be?" I ask raising my eyebrow.

"We aren't completely sure, but what we do know is they are not in the proper position to unleash a full scale attack before the games have begun," Drake explains.

"And that guy, Augrillian Shire? Who is he?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Well. . . nobody is completely sure. The person that may know is Jonah Welsh, but he is currently too busy to talk to anyone else about it. President Satchel may know as well, but he won't allow anybody to speak to him. He is in a terrible state at the moment, and shuts everything and all of his problems out," Drake says in a concerned tone.

"Vice President Welsh is still very determined to accomplish these games, so everything is going ahead as planned, I am sorry about that," Drake mutters sounding sympathetic.

"Don't be," Danix says bitterly, "I volunteered to take part in this shit."

"As for me," I say speaking up, "I know I'm making it out of this shithole, just you wait and see."


	31. Quinn: The Last Supper

**Author's Note:**

**Another update has arrived! I am pleased to present to you this chapter, which is the second last non games chapter. Guys, we are almost there. I cannot believe it. I must admit, I had my doubts at some points last year with how busy I was, but thank god for the summer holidays. By this point, most SYOT's that authors actually stick to, they are well and truly into the games, so it has taken me longer than it should have. You guys know, I prefer quality over quantity though, and that is what has worked best for this story so far.**

**I'll give more of a speech next chapter, and the following chapter (which are the games), I will be saying a couple of important things, but I can't wait to meet you guys there! I stuck to my word, that I would get to the games before the holidays are over, and seeing as I have about 10 days left, I have no doubt that I am capable of that. Sorry for these excessively long author's notes, but this is basically the only place I can share my thoughts and news on here. For those wondering, the forum does not exist anymore, as it was on Music Rules the World's account, and her account apparently got wiped :'(. I do hope she'll return at some stage, but there are no promises. **

**Now I've rambled for way too long, onto the chapter!**

**. . .**

**Quinn Holland, 16, D11:**

Am I scared? Not overly. Am I confused? Most definitely. Why am I confused you may ask. No reason really, besides everything that just happened. The night was going along as expected, pretty boring for me, a bunch of interviews that were all either lies, acts, or things I already knew. So I didn't really expect anything eventful to happen. What did happen however, was nothing I would have ever predicted.

District 6, actually fought back against this oppression? Despite practically having lost the war, accompanied with the death of their figurehead Haor Metchell, they still stood together and fought back? Even I must admit, it is impressive.

The thing is, when I think of District 6 attacking District 0, I think of death. Lots and lots of death. That's where I am lost. Where was this death? It appears non-existent. The reason being, because apparently the Capitol managed to hold their attack off. That's rubbish. The Capitol is claiming to have once again crushed District 6, to have saved themselves and made everything here safe.

Now I have never exactly fought in the wars that took place during the rebellion. Not at all. I did however, hear stories. I heard the tales of the District 6 attacks on District 0, and on District 2, and even District 1 at one point. They were described as the deadliest attacks any District was capable of. So my thought process here is, if District 6 really wanted to harm the Capitol, we would know. In fact, the Capitol wouldn't be standing any more.

So that leads me to believe, District 6 was definitely holding off on the total scale of their attack. That is the reason we are still standing, that is the reason I am sitting on my bed, pondering about this rather questionable situation. The explosions have definitely seized, and the gunfire was of the Peacekeepers trying to shoot the bombs before they landed. Despite it all having stopped, the streets remain empty. I look down at the street below, with groups of Peacekeepers guarding the entrance of the building. This causes me to smirk.

_There won't be any escaping tonight._

Would I want to escape though? That's a question I have asked myself numerous times during my stay in the Capitol. Sure I did volunteer for this, but if I was presented the opportunity to escape into the Capitol rather than enter an arena where 23 other teenagers are trying to kill me, I would likely not choose the latter of the options.

Not that it is an option at all. I basically signed up to enter this arena the moment I uttered out the words 'I volunteer'. Was it worth it though? Judging by what I've experienced so far, and what I know I'll be experiencing tomorrow and until I die or make it out of the arena, I would say not at all. To start off, I lost the use of my legs. Well, not exactly. They are very hard to use is what I'll describe them as, and that is only when I do not have the medication for my legs. They have been working fine ever since I received the medication, which I was very sceptical about after seeing what happened to Nero. However I didn't have a choice. Would I rather face my imminent death due to a lack of working legs? Or would I rather stand a chance?

So I went with the medication, and so far it has worked miracles. My legs will never be the same while they are on this particular medication, as the Capitol said they had a way of not only healing my legs but improving them, yet that would be an unfair advantage. They should last me the Games I would hope.

I massage my right leg, moving it up and down while I wiggle my toes. What a relief to actually feel the touch of my hand on my calf, and to be able to move my legs to any place I wish. I cannot deny that they have in fact potentially saved my life.

_They are the reason you lost the use of your legs to begin with._

Now that is true. It's not like I'm a Capitol supporter anyway. In fact I very much hate the Capitol. The way they treated District 11, restricting us from the simplest of things and treating us like an untrained pet. Despite being their only food source during the Rebellion, they still treated us unfairly. If caught taking one apple or one even one _berry_ from the harvest would result in whippings, and it was very common as well. Since the Capitol only had us as a food source, we weren't allowed to eat any of it. Lots of people starved, while others took the risk of sneaking food away. If it was as simple as an apple, it was much easier to hide. However when you have to feed an entire family, well that's when it gets more difficult.

That's how I had it, a family to feed, and basically any other method of claiming food being non-existent. There would be plenty of times I would be caught doing this, and in retaliation I received plenty of lashes across my back. Some days it was worse than others, I would consider it a good day if my previous whip scars had healed. It was nowhere near as painful as the experience of old scars being reopened. Unfortunately I had no choice but to steal food for my family, and in the end, the worst of it came to haunt me.

The soldiers in District 11, before they were named the 'Peacekeepers', had a list of all the known thieves, as well as how often they would steal. Eventually they went to seek out the loved ones of these thieves, and to put it straight to the point, put a bullet into the back of their heads. My parents were among those that lost their lives, because of my actions. My actions that were the only way we were to stay alive anyways. In the end, death was always going to creep up on us. At least I had the option to choose, starvation or gunshot. At least the gunshot was quick.

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the memories of my parents, and that very tragic day. I am not one to express much emotion, but damn those thoughts just hit me hard. Maybe because it doesn't often cross my mind, the memories of my parents that is. I have never once thought of what life would be like had we lived in somewhere like tropical District 4, or rich and plentiful District 1. Not once. I never would allow myself to think that, because to me, showing any form of misery or mourning for my parents executions, would be letting District 0 win. Killing them was likely meant to make me stop stealing food, but it only made me do it more. I was determined. I was dedicated. All about proving to people that weren't even paying attention to me that I was not weak, and that I would not surrender because of what they had done.

So now that I lie here on my bed, thinking about how I may be dead in a matter of a few days, I have unintentionally decided to give my parents the respect they deserve. The depression that should have come, the 'what if's' that I should have considered, and now even the fact that I may be joining them in death.

I rest my head back on the bed frame, closing my eyes and enjoying the last night of my life that I won't be jolting awake at any sound, or leaping up screaming from the trauma and nightmares that will be a result of this arena. This is the last night of my old life, and the last night I will ever be normal again.

"Quinn?" a timid voice calls out from behind my closed door, following the three soft knocks that opened this disturbance. That voice only belonged to one person. My dear District partner, Naomi Ennedes. I open my eyes and look at the door, considering whether I should answer or not. I come to the conclusion that this girl may not be alive for much longer, so I might as well conform to her intentions while she is still here. This results in my hoarse voice calling out to her.

"What is it, Naomi?" I call out, sounding exuberantly tired. Instead of a simple vocal response, Naomi comes to the conclusion that it is best for her to open the door, earning a groan from me. She steps into the room, face red and blotchy from obvious crying, her dark brown hair has been tied up in a simple pony tail, and she wears a simple green shirt with black leggings. Freckles dot her nose, and her lips are incredibly red, whether it's from the lipstick she may have had to wear at the interviews, from her excessive crying, or just a natural red, there was no denying how red they are. She walks over with light steps, reaching the end of the bed which she hoists herself onto.

"Naomi I didn't say you could come in," I sigh as I straighten myself up. She looks down sadly and nods.

"I know, it's just. . . I need company Quinn. I need company that isn't Polter or our Stylists." I snort as Naomi mentions our Escort. He likes to think he is helping us, but he really isn't doing that great at it.

"I'm terrified," she almost sobs, glancing at me. I frown at the young girl, sitting there trembling with fear. I'm not exactly the most encouraging person, nor the best person to speak about problems to. So I am very clueless about how I can help Naomi feel better.

"You'll be fine Naomi," I say awkwardly. She shakes her head hard in denial.

"No I will not! You really think I can make it out of the arena when I am against that monster from District 9? I'm so scared Quinn, I'm going to die," she cries out, voice catching in her throat more times than not.

"Don't think about that for now, think about your friends, the boy from 12. . . what's his name?"

"Whent," she says with a sob, "and he is going to die too!" Tears begin to flow down her cheeks, making me even more clueless about what to do.

"Naomi, I'm going to be flat out honest. You are not going to live if you keep up with this attitude," I inform her. She looks up at me again, sniffling but not crying anymore.

"People will see you as weak, as an easy target, and worst of all it will take out the confidence that you have in yourself," I say, disregarding the fact that at this point she may not have any confidence at all at this point.

"You've got to hold your head up high, refuse to believe that you'll die, and instead, believe that you can win this thing," I finish. She has stopped crying and sobbing completely, with her sniffs being at odd intervals. She smiles slightly at me, looking significantly happier.

"You think I stand a chance?" she asks. Of course I don't.

"Of course I do!" I exclaim to her. She lightens up with excitement.

"Can you teach me how to get through the beginning?" she begs. Teach her? The Hunger Games start tomorrow, she should already have a plan.

"Tell me what your plan is," I instruct her. She looks blankly at me, before scratching the back of her head and squinting one eye as she thinks.

"Uh, well, I was going to meet up with my alliance, and go into the middle for supplies. . ." she says drifting off.

"That is where you are wrong. You do not go into the middle," I say firmly. She looks at me with utter confusion.

"Why not?" she asks.

"Well it's pretty obvious, that is where everyone would go. Fletcher, the United Pack, all the people you are afraid of, will be there fighting one another," I inform her.

"But then what do we do?"

"You run into the arena. Meet up with your alliance, sure, but all of you run into whatever the arena is," I tell her.

"Then how are we meant to survive? We have no weapons to defend ourselves, we have no supplies to keep ourselves alive, what do we do?" Naomi asks.

"Ladonna's in your alliance right? Allow her to go into the battle as I am sure she will be able to hold her ground. She can get you weapons and supplies, and then once you meet up, get the fuck out of there," I instruct her. She nods in response.

"Okay I think I can do that," she says softly.

"Good, then you'll survive. Just don't go near anyone else for the rest of the game," I tell her. She smiles and bounds over to me. She collides against my chest, embracing it in a hug and winding me in the process.

"Thank you so much Quinn," she says, face buried into my chest.

"Don't mention it," I gasp, struggling to breath. She has quite a grip to her, I must admit. She stops hugging me and plants a kiss upon my cheek. I am struck by surprise at this act and don't know how to react.

"I think dinner is ready, let's go," she says, hopping off the bed and walking out of the room, leaving me frozen. Nobody has ever shown me any affection before, besides my parents of course. Yet, this young girl just did, despite the fact that she will have to die in order for me to escape the arena. I frown, knowing I shouldn't be thinking so much about this. The more I over think it, the less willing I would actually be to kill her if it came down to it. I'm just going to have to stay away from her in the arena, and hope that I never run into her again.

But for now, I am still in the Capitol, not needing to kill anyone in order to stay alive. So I leave my room, to have potentially the last full scale meal I may ever have, or at least for a couple weeks if I win. As I enter the dining room, the last supper truly doesn't disappoint. The table is full to the brink with food and drinks. Everyone is seated, Naomi with an empty seat next to her, on the other side sits Polter, already stuffing his face full of food, accompanied by both our Stylists, mine being a middle aged woman named Earth, and Naomi's being a younger man named Veron. They all look up at me as I enter the room, Polter smiling and Earth waving. I pull out the chair next to Naomi, sitting down and taking in the banquet in front of me.

If my parents could see me now, after stealing food for years that only just got us by, to sitting in front of this table that could last us for months. My mouth waters as I look at it, and despite living in the Capitol for a week, I forget that I am allowed to just take what I want. Polter looks up at me, and sees me observing the plentiful batch of food.

"You know Quinn, you are allowed to. . . eat the food," Polter chuckles. This causes me to look up at him and scowl.

"I know that, it's just, there is so much," I say in fascination.

"Since it is 23 tributes last meals in the Capitol, all of you are getting a feast," Earth informs me.

"You don't say," I reply in awe. Some of the dishes that rest on the table I have never even seen before. Some tender and plump type of meat rests directly in front of me. Weirdly enough it is incredibly filling, as I feel the effects of a filled stomach after a few slices of it. The funny thing is, that isn't the most unique looking thing here. I gorge myself on noodles in a green broth, golden spring rolls, spicy chicken wings and a weird bread type of dish topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and slices of a meat called pepperoni. I am told this peculiar dish is called pizza, and once I try it I cannot help but have one or two more of the triangular slices.

My favourite dish however is some type of diced chicken in an orange sauce with a hint of brown. I am told this is called curry, from some place in the Old World called India. The spices are new to me, as well as the flavours, and I have probably much more than I should have. Most of the food on this table are new to me however, since I am from District 11, we only ever had access to what we grew, especially when District 10 cut off their food supply to anyone that hadn't joined the rebels.

_Yeah, like we were able to join them. With the whole District under strict lockdown by District 0._

By the time this rich food has filled me up, Naomi has also had enough, as has the two Stylists. The only person that still eats is Polter, who has cleared out a fair portion of the food alone. I come to question how the hell he is doing that. He has eaten so much that realistically his stomach would have ruptured, which would be very painful for him. He also isn't very fat, so I don't understand how he is still eating.

"Polter, how are you still eating food?" I ask. He looks up from his dish of soup, containing god knows what in it, and smiles at me.

"Because Quinn, at the push of a button, I can empty my stomach and eat even more," he says beaming, holding up a little device with several buttons on it. I shake my head. Disgusting, people in places such as District 9, 11, and 12, are all starving because they have no food to eat, while people in the Capitol eat just for the sake of eating? Literally making advancements in technology that allow them to eat more? Unbelievable. Oh how jealous of Polter I'll be while I am in the arena, starving and becoming skin and bones.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Naomi mutters, gripping her stomach.

"Don't, you need the energy for tomorrow," I tell her. She moans and closes her eyes. The food is very rich compared to what we are used to. A wave of sympathy passes over me as I look at Naomi, who appears very uncomfortable. Her potential last night shouldn't be riddled with stomach cramps and bloating.

"Here, have a glass of water, it helps," I urge her, passing her my own untouched glass of clear and pristine water. I feel the coolness of the water through the glass, and the heat from my hands causes the glass to fog up in a matter of second, leaving finger prints once I take my hand away.

"Slow sips," I instruct her as she takes the glass and raises it to her red lips. She takes it as I said, with slow and steady sips that drain the glass slower than usual. Once she has finished, she puts her hand to her mouth, as her cheeks puff out. Oh no, she is going to puke. I begin to move over slightly so I will not get hit by the bile, however Naomi instead releases a deafening burp. Both Earth and Veron look up in disgust, while Polter stops eating for a moment. Naomi giggles as she looks up at me. I must look like an idiot right now, mouth gaped open like a fool, eyes wide as if I've just walked in on somebody naked. I instantly straighten my face to appear flat and normal.

"Thanks Quinn, I feel much better," she says with relief.

"Don't mention it," I mumble in response.

"You know," Polter speaks up, "you two should probably get to bed, it's late and you need to get up early."

"I don't want to do that, because then it becomes real," Naomi says with a whimper.

"I'm sorry love, but you've got no choice. It's better to be rested and alert, rather than fatigued and drained," Polter says sympathetically.

"No, please don't make me go," she pleads frantically. She's going into her terrified mood again, I'm going to have to take care of this.

"Come on Naomi," I says softly, picking her up and causing her to cling to me. She is so small that it's like I'm holding a 10 year old.

"You guys will be woken up at 10:45, and you'll be entering the arena at 12:00. Have a good night rest," Polter says. He follows up by mouthing a 'thank you' to me once Naomi can no longer see him. I shake my head and turn towards the hall way which both of our rooms are located in. I gently open the door to Naomi's room, as her head rests on my shoulder. I walk over to her bed, switching on the lamp that is located on the bedside table. I place her down on the bed, expecting her to say something. She doesn't. She just watches me. I pull up the covers until it covers all of her body besides her neck and head. I look at her for a second, thinking one thing. She reminds me of having a little sister.

"Good night Naomi," I say softly, before turning around and heading towards the door. Just as I rest my hand on the door knob Naomi cries out for me.

"Quinn, wait!" I turn to look at her, seeing she has sat up fully, back straight and leaning on one hand.

"C-can you please stay with me? Until I fall asleep?" she asks timidly, the same way she spoke when she had knocked on my door earlier this evening. I sigh, thinking about how much I myself wanted to go to bed. Instead, I once again realised that this girl I am talking to, might end up dead tomorrow.

"Sure, if that makes you feel better," I say awkwardly. I make my way back over towards her, sitting right beside her resting body. She rolls over on to her side, and does something I did not expect at all. Naomi slips her hand into my own, giving it a squeeze. I look at her face, which smiles shyly.

"Thanks for making me feel better Quinn, you are like a brother to me," she almost whispers, before closing her eyes. It's a few minutes before I can tell that the heavy breathing has turned into the sound of slumber. Her hand goes limp in mine, giving the signs that she is clueless to the world around her as of now. But her hand never goes cold. It remains warm.


	32. Hera: The Game of Death Commences

**Author's Note:**

**We are here. The last chapter before the games. I cannot believe it, we have finally arrived. I am so proud of myself for reaching this stage. I have to thank you guys though, all of you that have stuck around through my slow updates, that have taken to time to give me feedback (most of the time), and for all the support you have shown me as we have progressed together to this point of the story.**

**It still hasn't fully hit me that next chapter we will be in the arena, that next chapter characters will actually be dying, leaving us, for good. I can only hope you guys will enjoy it as much as me. I have the whole story planned out, I have all the storylines created, all the deaths that will occur, and it is going to be amazing! **

**See you in the Hunger Games guys, and may the odds, be ever, in your favour.**

**. . .**

**Hera Loughbrook, 18, D6:**

"Hera." The voice echoes throughout my head, through the emptiness and peacefulness of my slumber. It's a weird sensation, almost a combination of whispering and the voice of my own thoughts if I was to describe how it sounded. It sounds as if a person had spoken my name in my dream, which makes me groggily wonder, is this real?

"Hera." I hear it again, a bit louder and harsher than the last time. I try to make out whose voice it is, despite a lack of knowledge. Since I am so distant from the conscious world right now, I cannot think for the life of me who it is that may be calling my name. However, I can conclude one thing, it is a woman speaking.

"Hera!" That is no woman speaking this time, nor is it simply speaking. A man shouts my name, causing me to jolt awake from my sleep. What time is it? Who are they? The people I refer to as 'they' are in fact two dark figures that stand over my body. The room is dark, and I cannot make out anything other than shadows.

"See? That is what it took," the man scolds the woman, putting his hands on to his hips.

"It isn't exactly a pleasant way to be woken up though Tyren," the woman replies in exasperation. Tyren, that rings a bell. Oh that's right, my Stylist.

"It's time to wake up Hera," the woman says, before turning on the lamp next to me. I cry out in pain as the light penetrates my eyes, instantly turning away and shielding them with my arm.

"Oh. . . shit, I'm so sorry Hera," the woman says apologetically. I groan as I blink excessively to adjust my eyes to the light. How in the world did I get to sleep? I spent hours sitting at the window just thinking about today's upcoming events. I hope I am well rested enough, but at the moment I need to wake up. My eyes finally adjust to the light, and I peer at the woman that now sits on my bed. Dazzling blue eyes, dark red hair, of course, it's Tiffany.

"Come to ship me off to my death?" I ask grinning foolishly in my state of fatigue. Tiffany purses her lips while Tyren laughs nervously.

"There is no need because you will be winning these games," Tiffany says motivationally. This causes me to chuckle.

"I thought you didn't choose favourites," I say jokingly. This causes Tiffany to laugh.

"Don't worry, I don't, I said the exact same thing to Aramid," she says with a smirk, "As long as one of you make it out, I'm happy."

"Wait," I say with a frown, "Aramid has already left?" Tiffany looks at me sympathetically.

"Yes he has, his hovercraft left earlier than yours," Tiffany informs me.

"Oh, I never got to say goodbye," I say sadly. Tiffany rubs my arm in sympathy.

"You'll meet up with him in the arena Hera, there is no need to worry too much."

"But what if one of us dies? Then we never will get to speak to each other again," I cry out. It's only this moment that I realise how scared I am for these games. The sheer possibility of death or losing Aramid to the blackness that consumes us all at some point, is truly frightening.

"I'm sorry Hera, he has already left, there isn't anything we can do about it now. If I had known you wanted to wish him farewell, I would have woken you up," Tiffany says apologetically. I sigh at her words.

"Don't worry about it Tiffany, it wasn't your fault," I assure her. I recollect the information she had told me in preparation for leaving, remembering a specific word she had mentioned.

"Wait. . . did you say hovercraft?" I ask.

"Yes, that is what will be taking you to the arena," Tiffany informs me.

"Really? Well at least I can say I've been in a hovercraft before I die," I joke, causing Tiffany to shake her head.

"No jokes Hera, I want you to be serious from here on out, I want you to get into the mindset of knowing you will have to kill. Now follow me once you have gotten dressed, it doesn't have to be fancy, you will be wearing clothing specifically made for the arena," Tiffany instructs as she rises from her sitting position.

"You know what type of clothes I'll need?" I ask Tyren. He shakes his head.

"No, I know nothing at this point, we didn't even make the clothing. We will however, once we can get a hold of your clothing, be able to tell what type of terrain or environment it may be from the materials used and the type of clothing it is," Tyren says in response. I nod to show that I have understood what he has said.

"We will wait outside, to allow you to get changed in privacy. I'm sure you've been naked in front of people way to often over the past week," Tiffany says looking rather amused. Both her and Tyren step out of my room, shutting the door softly. Well, here is the first day of the rest of my life. I strip out of the white singlet I wore to bed, as well as the salmon pink shorts that I have grown quite fond of. I leave my undergarments on as I see no reason to remove them. I slip into a simple pair of black leggings, and pull on a red shirt. The colour reminds me of my outfit from last night, which I had left at the foot of my bed. I go to look at it, before realising it is no longer there.

Who would have taken it? Presumably an Avox did in the process of cleaning my room. Perhaps Tyren recovered it as a token of the very first District 6 female tribute, or simply because he likes to keep his work. Last night was. . . interesting, to say the least. I have to admit, discovering your home District is fighting against the people intending to kill you, is rather heart-warming. I felt very proud last night, somewhat scared as the people they were attacking had two captors of that District right in front of them, a.k.a Aramid and I, but proud nonetheless. Augrillian, he was refreshing to see, a familiar face after a week of new people. Although I had never met him personally, I did go to his training program numerous times before the Reaping, and what a man he is. Passionate, driven, fantastic with combat, I wouldn't have expected anyone else to take up Haor's spot as the Rebel Leader.

Since my mind is on the topic of Augrillian, it switches to his little girl. Hope I believe her name was. She is only about 10, and in two years, she will have to enter the Reaping herself. That's if the Capitol get District 6 under control, and god I hope they don't.

I take one last look at my room. I may never see such luxury again, the only way it would be possible would be for me to win these games. What are the odds of that? Likely they aren't in my favour. I open the door and see Tiffany and Tyren chatting a couple of steps away. Tiffany looks at me and smiles.

"Time to go," she says with a sigh. I nod and she turns around, leading me towards the elevator. Tyren walks directly beside me, apparently he will be staying with me until the very moment I am thrust into the arena. The elevator ride is silent, causing me to think. I think about how this may be my last ever ride in an elevator.

_If you keep thinking like that, everything you do in the Capitol will likely be your last._

True, if I am thinking negatively, it's going to affect me negatively. I need to focus on one thing, and that is getting out of this thing. Alive.

The elevator doors slide open, greeting me with a cool gust of air. I take a deep breath as we walk out, getting hit by the early morning sun. I enjoy the feeling of the golden rays hitting my face, although I have to squint to see. We stand on a big red X, where I guess we are meant to get picked up from. Where is the hovercraft? I look around trying to catch a glimpse of some floating vehicle, however none meet the eye.

"Uh, Tiffany? Where is it?" I ask, giving up.

"Right up there," she says casually, pointing up directly above us. I look up to see deep blue sky, and nothing more.

"Oh what the fuck?" I gasp in surprise, as a hovercraft materialises out of thin air. How do they get the technology for this stuff!? I watch in awe as a circle opens up out of the bottom, a ladder is then let down, falling to the ground a few feet away from me. Tiffany then steps in front of me.

"This is it Hera. It has been an honour meeting you, and I just know that you can win this thing," she says with heavy positivity.

"Thanks Tiffany, it was great meeting you as well. You have made me realise not all people from the Capitol are bad," I say with a smile. Tiffany beams at me and embraces me in a hug. I close my eyes as I feel the softness of the fur coat she is wearing, accompanied by the rays of sun. Maybe it is also the fact that I don't want to leave. I hear a cough come from behind me, causing me to release Tiffany and look around at Tyren, who taps his watch impatiently. I look at Tiffany once again, who gives me a supportive smile.

"Now go kill them all," she says with a laugh, before stepping back towards the elevator. I wink at her and turn to the ladder. I sigh and grab a rung that is level with my eyes with both of my hands, going onto step on to two separate rungs with my feet. I am about to lift my arm up to reach up higher before I realise I cannot. I'm stuck, frozen, completely restricted from movement. Some sort of current glues me to the ladder while it lifts me safely inside. My mind becomes littered with possibilities of how I could fall. Would they allow me to fall? Surely not. It becomes apparent that they wouldn't as I arrive inside the hovercraft. My eyes travel to my right, the side I am not able to see much of since my head is frozen looking slightly towards the left. I see Tyren on another ladder directly next to me, which unfreezes him as soon as the opening below has closed.

I fully expect them to unfreeze me as well, but I am still glued to the ladder. A minute passes until a woman in a white coat strides towards me.

"Hold still Hera, I am inserting your tracking device into your arm now, it won't hurt a bit," she says quietly as she holds up a menacing looking syringe. Hold still? I cannot move an inch. I am literally a statue. I squint my eyes shut and bite the inside of my cheek. That _does _hurt thank you very much.

She pushes down on the syringe once she has stabbed the tip into my forearm. I feel the pinch of it in my muscle, and even the pull against it when she pulls it out. I refuse to let tears penetrate my tear ducts though, I will not cry over a needle when I am likely in for a whole lot of pain over the course of a few weeks, if I survive the bloodbath of course.

I gasp as I fall limply to the floor, not expecting the release from the current. I groan as I pick myself up, looking around to see Tyren patiently waiting for me. He motions for me to come over to him, so I walk over while I rub the spot where the woman inserted the tracker. I run my finger over the bump, notifying me to exactly where it is.

"Breakfast is this way," Tyren says, walking into a room. I notice a table located in the centre of the room, filled with all sorts of breakfast meals. On a normal day, I would jump at an instant to eat. However this isn't a normal day, and my appetite refuses to reveal itself. My stomach feels as if it will regurgitate any ounce of food that enters its system, but I know I _need _to eat. Even though I feel sick, who knows when I will eat next. I have to make the most of it while it's on a platter on front of me and I am sure there is no poison.

I manage to stomach two slices of toast, completed with scrambled eggs and strips of fatty bacon. The fat is a turn off, but I stuff it in all the same. I refuse, however, to stop drinking water. In the arena, diamonds, rubies and precious gems won't be priceless items. Water will be the most precious resource anyone could have. For all I know, water could be plentiful. But I am not taking any chances, so I wash down my breakfast with three bottles of water. Now I am feeling sick by being bloated, but that is probably better than feeling sick from starvation, especially during the games.

"Fill up Hera, you need the energy," Tyren says, watching me as I eat. If I wasn't sweating buckets and concentrating on how soon my death may be, I would likely find this weird.

"I-I need to go to the restroom," I mutter, feeling the uncomfortable twinge of a full bladder. I go a couple of times during the trip, each trip being shorter and shorter than the last. By the final trips, I know I'm just doing it for something to do, to keep my mind off of the Hunger Games. Ugh that profound name keeps seeping back into my mind. Let's be honest, how can it not?

Coming out of the restroom for the final time, I discover that the windows have been blackened out. What? What's going on? Tyren answers before I can even ask the question out loud.

"We are approaching the arena, they are blocking the view to outside in order to prevent you from seeing the arena before entering it."

"Oh, okay," I say, my voice ridiculously high. I collapse onto a chair that usually would give a view out the window, except for now. I notice now how shaky my legs are, and that I keep on instinctively biting my nails. I fiddle with my hair in a frightened anticipation, twirling it around my finger. I find that it doesn't help, and for some stupid reason, rub the tracker bump on my arm. The problem is that I press down hard on it, until I see the bruise developing.

I feel the hovercraft begin to descend, causing an uneasy sensation bubble in my stomach. Oh god, we are here. We are here, and I'm going to die. I'm going to be entering the arena with a monstrosity of a boy from District 9, where he is perfectly allowed to kill me. I will be entering the arena with the nutcase from District 2, who is highly aggressive and will likely kill anyone who he comes across. I am so screwed, I am undoubtedly screwed. Death, here I come!

I hear the hovercraft connect with the landing pad, and this causes bile to rise up and burn the back of my throat. No! I am not allowing myself to puke. I need the sustenance, I need to swallow it. I wince as I swallow the foul stomach acid, causing me to breathe as if I had just ran a marathon.

"Let's go Hera, we do not want to be punished for being late," Tyren says with a sigh, putting his arm around my shoulders and leading me away from my chair. Punished? Is entering these games not already punishment enough? As we pass the table, I make sure to grab one more bottle of water before we depart completely from the room. We pass a number of Avoxes, all which watch me with sympathetic eyes. I wish that they didn't do that, it makes me feel as if I was an old dog about to be put down.

Two Peacekeepers stand by where we entered from the ladders. What do they expect? For me to attempt to escape? Honestly, they probably do. Tyren helps me out of the hovercraft, and I find myself in a dark tunnel, appearing as if it's built in a circular motion. It's very eery, very creepy, and it doesn't make me feel any better. Cold, damp, decrepit, it reminds me of a slaughter house. Some sort of indoor stockyard where the livestock would go to get butchered.

"They have been calling this place the Catacombs. I suppose they could have made it look nicer, but it will only ever be used once, and they spent much more time on the arena of course," Tyren informs me. I almost whimper as I stare down the long winding tunnel.

"Please don't take me there," I plead, in a timid and childlike voice. Tyren squeezes my shoulder, letting out a huff of air.

"I'm sorry Hera, I have no choice," he says piteously.

"Come now, we don't have much time left." With all of the Capitol's advanced technology, why oh why have they not invented a method in which I could stop time? We walk down the tunnel for about two minutes, no other sounds audible aside from my heavy ragged breathing and our combined footsteps. We finally come across a room, labelled with _Hera Loughbrook / District 6 Female._ That's cute, they made me my own little slaughter pen.

The room is bland, but you can tell it has been freshly constructed. The smell of fresh paint is very prominent, but aside from that it is rather empty. A bathroom is visible to the side of the room, while a metal plate rests in the right hand corner of the room, above it resting a glass pipe that leads up. It doesn't take a genius to realise that is how I will be entering the arena. A table is also present, a sleek brown mahogany is what it appears to be. A single box is located on tip of the table, and I just know that it contains what I will be wearing.

"Let's have a look at what we have," Tyren says with mild interest. He releases my shoulder and steps over to the table. The box appears to be easy to open, and in no time at all, Tyren is peering inside. I wait for some remark about how I am in for devastatingly hot conditions, or perhaps an agonizingly cold and bitter tundra. That is not what happens at all, instead, Tyren simply hums with interest.

"Well?" I squeak, barley able to talk anymore.

"It seems that it might be very mixed," he informs me as he reaches into the box.

"Mixed?" I ask.

"Yes, let's start off with this shirt," he says, pulling out a grey shirt. He examines it by flipping it over to get a good look at all of it.

"Cotton, it'll definitely keep you pretty warm, but it is moisture-absorbent, so you may be sweating a bit," he says passing it to me. I strip off my shirt and slip into the grey cotton t-shirt. Quite comfortable, I cannot complain really.

"These are very nice," Tyren comments as he examines the pants.

"Dark grey, almost black trousers, they should fit nicely," he says as he passes them to me. I slide the leggings off of my legs, and step into the trousers. They fit really well, not baggy, but a bit tighter. It also matches the shirt, so it is aesthetically pleasing as well. Why in the world am I worrying about if my clothes look good?

"Thick long woollen socks, will keep you warm and prevent blisters," he says as he throws the pair of black socks at me. I get them on and notice how thick they are.

"Ah, you can expect you'll be climbing some terrain, or perhaps running or hiking. Point is, you'll be moving a lot with these shoes," Tyren says as he places the shows on the ground in front of me. I am rather relieved that I won't be having to wear sandals or something like that. These are boots, made out of tough leather that is still reasonably soft, narrow and sturdy rubber soles that are still very flexible, they are designed to mould to my feet as soon as I slip them on. I wonder how they got my size.

"This is the last bit," Tyren says as he throws me the final article of clothing. I unfold it and examine it. It is a black hooded jacket that is fairly large but looks very warm. The hood of it is the only other colour on the jacket, a vibrant race red like the colour from the interview.

"The jacket reflects heat, so that leads me to believe that overall it will be reasonably cold most of the time, but is capable of becoming hot," he tells me.

"The hood defines your District, and yes they are all the Interview colours that you were assigned, or that's what we were told at least. So from a distance you could be able to tell what District the tribute is from. As a reminder, District 1 is silver so they will be a lighter grey as the metallic colour of silver was inconvenient to place on the hood, District 2 is a dark grey, District 3 is orange, District 4 is light blue, District 5 is white, District 6 as you already know is red, District 7 is green, District 8 is purple, District 9 is yellow instead of gold because of the same situation as the silver, District 10 is the same, theirs is brown instead of bronze, District 11 is pink, and District 12 has the full black hood," Tyren informs me.

I slip into the jacket, noticing how warm and comfortable it is. Fantastic. It all fits well enough. There is only one thing left to do now. Wait. Wait for these agonizing minutes to tick by until I am forced to enter the arena.

"How much longer do we have left?" I ask fearfully. Tyren checks his watch, before looking back up at me.

"_Tributes, please step onto the metal plate, launch beginning in. . . thirty seconds."_

The woman over the speaker answers for him, and instantly I freak out. No, no, no, no fuck! Tyren grabs my hand and leads me over to the circular metal plate. Each step I take is shaky, and I am barely able to stand when we have reached the plate.

"_Tributes, please step onto the metal plate, launch beginning in. . . fifteen seconds."_

"Tyren?" I say shakily as Tyren holds me up.

"Yes my dear?" he asks.

"T-tell Tiffany, that I-I said thank you."

"Of course, good luck Hera, you can win this."

"_Launch in. . . 5."_

"_4."_

"_3."_

"_2."_

"_1."_

The glass cylinder above lowers down, cutting off my grasp of Tyren. All I can hear is the sound of my own heavy breathing, as I watch Tyren try to say something to me. I cannot hear him. I cannot hear anything that isn't in my tube. I put my hand to the glass as Tyren backs up a step. As soon as he does this, the plate begins to rise up. My breathing becomes quicker as I look up, to see bright white light pouring in from above. My heart feels like it might combust, it travels that fast. I look at Tyren one last time, just as he is waving, before my view of him is cut off. I am now closer to the top, and I am blinded by the light. All my other senses work however, so as I shield my eyes from the light, I take note of the singing of birds, and the smell of something sweet in the air.

Finally my eyes adjust to the light, just like this morning, and I look around for the first time. I gasp at what sight beholds me. How is this even possible? As I look around mesmerised, I hear a booming announcement. The voice, I know that voice. That voice belongs to Jonah Welsh.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, let the First Annual Hunger Games begin!"_

And so, the game of death commences.


	33. A Bath of Blood

**Author's Note:**

**Here we are. The bloodbath. We made it. Now I won't be long here as I know that you will want to be reading the chapter but I just want to say a couple of important things.**

**Do not get angry if your tribute dies. Every death that happens is for a reason and this is how it has to go. You submitted a tribute to a Hunger Games SYOT, don't expect them to win. Not only that, but deaths in this story, some of them at least, will be very graphic. I am sorry to all the author's that have their tribute die in a horrific way, but it is the Hunger Games, and this is no PG-13 story. **

**So DISCLAIMER for savage and horrific deaths. **

**If you like to review the chapter as you read, BE CAREFUL! I will be putting Eulogies for every death that happens, so you never know if there will be a eulogy at the end. Don't ruin it for yourself by doing that. From now on I will also probably be doing the Author's Note at the end of the paragraph.**

**One last thing. . . Happy Australia Day!**

**Now here we go.**

**. . .**

_-Every POV starts from the moment people leave their plates-_

**. . .**

**Dayta Owens, 14, D3:**

The breeze hits my face, and I look around in utter amazement. The Capitol, really know how to get things done, I myself don't even know how it is possible. The landscape, just doesn't seem natural, in fact otherworldly. To start things off, we are beginning on a massive island. As far as I can see for this particular island, it is flat with healthy green grass. In the middle sits the Cornucopia, just as they described it. Gold, shiny, and pretty damn big.

Inside of the cornucopia, it is plentiful with sharp weapons, large packs and an array of other items. Scattered around the outskirts of it, all the way up to the tributes, are littered survival needs, food, and weapons. Most seem to decrease in value the closer they are, and the best stuff is obviously right inside the golden horn.

I look up in somewhat of a daze, noting that whatever is going on, it must be artificial. The sky is a deep purple colour, the sun appearing pink. I see no clouds at all, just clear purple. The initial anticipation of the arena distracted me from how cold it was. There is no snow in sight, but I can see my breath as I breathe out, looking like I am puffing out steam. The cold wind whips my face, stinging me and making me put on my orange hood, representing District 3.

I look further out, and that is where it gets even weirder. The whole island is outlined with decently thick fog, yet the surrounding islands are still big enough for me to see. It looks like they all lead upwards, and each seem to have a different terrain. I count five islands, not including the one we stand on. The island directly in front of me, which stands the tallest of them all is a snow capped mountain. I can see the bottom has a spruce forest at the base, and it leads me to think that it may be the largest of them all as well, in terms of girth.

The island to the right of it, shows great natural looking stone pillars, connected by countless bridges that teeter ever so slightly in the breeze. I also notice that streams of water gush out from the tall rock formations, but I cannot make out too much more due to the fog covering the entrance to the island, as well as the ground level.

To the left of the mountain island, rests a simple forest that leans on a slope. The trees look vibrant and plentiful, perhaps they are pine? I know for a fact that both Atlas and Phionex would want their alliance to head there, but due to the sheer size of them, I believe they will likely claim the Cornucopia, unless maybe Fletcher does.

The island next to the forest island, and diagonally behind me, appears to be an even greener forest of trees, except they aren't just ordinary trees. Those are apple trees. That would explain the sweet smell in the air, with vast amounts of apples, flowers, the whole lot of them appear to be on that island. The last island that is in between the apple island and the rock island, is the coldest looking of all. It is another forest, except covered in a layer of white snow. That would be the snow that I was looking for before. I can guarantee, anyone that want's to hide from the others, would be likely to go to that direction. Nobody wants to go hunting in a frozen tundra.

Luckily, it doesn't look like water will be a problem, if I need to, I can easily melt the snow, or even venture to that rock island to seek out that water flow. I guess they don't want anyone dying of dehydration, that would be too boring, they would want us to kill each other off.

Now that I have finished observing the arena, I finally take notice of my fellow tributes. To my left stands Danix, who looks downright nervous, and to the right of me, barely standing with her shaking knees is Hera. I watch her, appearing sick to the stomach. I want to comfort her, but I cannot, especially since if I take a step off this plate before the countdown concludes, I will be blown sky high. I try to look for Liesel, however, I cannot spot her. She must be on the other side of the Cornucopia. We are arranged in a circle, of course in a very random order. I do take note that some District partners are located next to each other. For example, both Naomi and Quinn stand on plates located next to each other, with Naomi shaking so hard I think she might fall off, and Quinn standing poised and ready.

Fletcher and Ancora also stand next to each other, with Ancora sticking her arms up in the air, both middle fingers raised and proud. Fletcher stares at Ancora sinisterly, looking ready to run straight for her as soon as the countdown ends. I must ready myself as well. I configure my legs into a running position, aiming directly for the Cornucopia. If my plan worked, then I should be safe. I had convinced the Gamemakers, specifically Jonah Welsh to give me a lower unnoticeable score. Of course I had to convince them as to why they should have listened to me, so I made a simple C4 in no time at all, and obliterated a group of five dummies. Welsh said I should be getting a very high score for that, but I insisted.

Now here we are, a low score, nothing to make me a target, I can just prance through unnoticed and uncared for, grabbing what I need and taking off. Now I just need to wait for the countdown to end. I listen to the announcer to find out how long we had left.

"_Thirty seconds."_

**. . .**

**Fletcher Wilds, 18, D9:**

Finally. I am here. In a place where I am fully allowed to kill 23 other kids to any degree I may intend. I can see my first target directly next to me, my District partner Ancora. She is going to regret spitting in my face on that day. I'll make her regret it. A tad further away, I see my main target. That annoying little leaping fuck, who I had to chase for ages and still could not catch until the very end of the Hunt Trial, Cassia Summers. I will make her death special, I can guarantee that.

My focus switches to the middle. To the Cornucopia that is filled with to the brink, the bountiful supply made up of necessities of survival. I also see my weapon, a shiny, dangerous looking scythe. I reckon it could slice flesh like carving a cake. Conveniently, resting on the wall beside it, is a belt of knives, all which differentiate in size and serration. All that bring a different kind of torture. Excellent.

After observing what I will aim to grab, there is only one thing left to do. Watch my competition. To my right stands the 10 boy, I believe his name was Vince? I don't know, I never took much notice of many of the names. He shivers on his plate from the evident cold, pulling up his brown hood over his head. He glances at me quickly with unease, obviously very nervous about being next to me. Oh he doesn't have to worry yet, it's his bitch of a District partner I want.

Most look very scared, quite a few of the tributes having put on their hoods due to the cold breeze that has begun to blow harder. I watch as the boy from 12 rocks back and forth, stumbling back a bit when he rocks too hard. He waves his arms to keep balance, barely managing to stay on the plate. Wouldn't want to start it off the same way he started the Pillar Trial would he? It would hurt a lot more this time.

Cassia the bitch stands still on her plate. She has put her brown hood on like Vince, but she just stands there without preparing herself to run. That's good, she will be a much easier target then. Libra, the one that the whole Capitol wants to fuck, looks exceptionally pale, much more than usual. She stands next to two of her own allies, the girl from 7 and the boy from 6, who both look more than ready, preparing to sprint towards the Cornucopia.

Theia from District 1 looks across at someone that I cannot see because of the Cornucopia, with obvious hatred. I listen to the time remaining, discovering I have fifteen seconds until I can move. No! I want to go now! I need to kill people.

I look over at Ancora again, who still spins on her plate, presenting the middle finger to any camera that may be watching. God I wish I could just kill her now. That I could do something that they never would have even considered to happen. That's when it hits me, I can.

"_10."_

I rummage through the pocket in my jacket.

"_9."_

My hands wrap around a ball of softness.

"_8."_

I pull out the ball.

"_7."_

I look at the item. An extra pair of socks. My Stylist warned me it may be cold, so I snuck in an extra pair.

"_6."_

I look over at Ancora.

"Hey Ancora, is there anything you'd like to tell the Capitol?" I shout at her in amusement.

"_5."_

Ancora looks at me.

"Yes actually there is."

"_4."_

"I would like to tell them. . ."

"_3."_

"To kiss. . ."

"_2."_

"My. . ."

"_1."_

"As-"

**. . .**

**Laelia Webber, 18, D5:**

I watched it all happen. Fletcher pulling out a rolled up pair of socks, shouting whatever at Ancora, and then trowing the socks. The socks had landed on the ground, right in front of Ancora, a mere second before the games had begun. The explosion was huge, rising up incredibly high. Many people cry out and shield their faces from the heat. The sound was enough to affect ones hearing, making me rather dizzy and disoriented. The shockwave even knocked a few people off their plates, luckily for them, the games had begun.

I am frozen to my platform, too shocked to even move. It is like I am on that ladder from the hovercraft all over again. A few people move, but everyone else is still recovering from the blast. The smoke begins to dissipate, and I notice who has moved. Nero has sprinted towards the Cornucopia, snarling like usual. Quinn has also made his way into the middle, while everyone else stands completely shell shocked.

I can finally make out Fletcher, grinning sinisterly at where Ancora used to be, keyword being 'used'. All that remains of Ancora now is bits of meat and bones. I see her blown off right hand on the ground, still sticking up the middle finger. My stomach gurgles and bile roars in the back of my throat. I have seen bad things, but nowhere near as bad as a person being blown up. Not even in the war did I ever see something like this.

I look around as I breathe heavily, looking at some people that actually did vomit. My eyes land on the Cornucopia as Quinn emerges, weapon in hand and pack on his back. A steel sword is what he raises as he looks around at the lot of us, appearing reasonably confused.

"Come on! Why the fuck have you guys not moved yet?" he shouts out. He glances at Fletcher, before instantly bolting away from the middle. Quinn runs towards the mountain island, but I don't see him again. My focus is now on Fletcher, who races forward towards the Cornucopia. This causes people to move. Everyone but a couple run directly at the Cornucopia. Many shout out for fellow allies, which reminds me that I need to find Danix. My feet pounds against the grassy floor, running faster than I ever have before. I am not dying now.

I see Nero step out of the Cornucopia, two machetes in hand. He swings for the first person he sees, which happens to be Haim. Haim somersaults underneath the machetes, and continues to dive into the Cornucopia. By now everyone has reached the Cornucopia, fighting over weapons and supplies. I watch as Liesel and Minho clash swords, as Ladonna barges through Aramid and Phionex who had been sticking together, as Haim grabs his spear and blocks yet another swipe from Nero. It's chaotic, a complete mess, I see blood on the floor, hear cries of pain and battle. It's almost too much to handle, but I have to be able to handle it, I need to get out of this alive. But where is Danix? As I rummage through crates, and grab things off of the floor, I constantly scan the area for Danix.

I can't just leave him, I'll have to go and find him after which would be very inconvenient. A wave of fear crashes over me. He could be dead. I shake my head, refusing to believe it. I instead grab an axe that I see propped up against the golden wall of the Cornucopia. I dive behind a crate, breathing intensely enough for constant puffs of white to escape my mouth. It reminds me of the time I used to smoke, before the Capitol made me resent them with their irritating technology.

_No Laelia, focus on finding Danix._

I wait behind the crate for a bit less than a minute, peering out to see if I can see Danix. Damn, nowhere to be seen. I'm running out of time, I need to leave, and find him later. It's too dangerous to stay. I peer out again to see if the coast is clear. There are still many people fighting outside, but there is nobody inside from what I can tell, or at least on my side of the Cornucopia. I look to the side of me and see a large red back pack, reaching over and grabbing it. I throw it on my back and grip my axe, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

Go.

I leap to my feet and sprint towards the exit. I am about to make it when I collide into another tribute. We both slam to the ground, causing me to grunt with pain. I quickly look up to see who I had ran into. I see a light hood, and for a second I think it's my fellow District partner Minho. Thank god, he wouldn't hurt me. I gasp when I realise I am wrong. The person with the light grey hood looks up, white blonde hair pulled up into a pony tail. The light grey hood belongs to District 1, and that is definitely not Minho.

Theia leers at me, picking up her silver dagger that appears to be encrusted with precious gems. Typical District 1. She springs up into a poised position, dagger raised ready to fight, while she grabs another one from the belt of knives she has going from her shoulder to her hip. She snarls at me, looking very deadly, so in response I ready my axe. I could throw it, but I do not want to potentially miss and lose my weapon, plus I'm not the best with axes, so I would likely screw up.

No turning back now, no running, I have to fight, and either win or die. Theia runs at me, daggers held firmly in her grip. I raise my axe above my head, and just as Theia is about to dive on to me, I slam my axe down. How stupid I am. Of course she would see that coming. She dodges the axe causing the axe to impale the floor. There is a single moment when I realise what I have just done, and we make eye contact. Oh fuck, why am I still holding the axe?

Just as I am about to pull the axe out of the ground, I feel a stabbing pain impale my right thigh. I cry out in pain and instantly let go of the axe, looking at Theia's smirk and then down to my thigh. She twists the dagger causing me to collapse from the pain it causes. My eyes water up from the pain and the realisation that I am about to die. I roll around in pain, knowing I am not in the right state to fight back. I gasp as Theia rips the dagger out of my leg, then going to sit on top of my chest so I can no longer move. My arms are trapped underneath her legs, so I am not able to push her off me.

She raises the dagger to my neck, the sticky red blood warm against my cool skin. I look at her in the eyes, gazing upon her excited eyes with shame. I am going to die, I am a failure to my District. I don't know who else has died yet besides Ancora, but I am about to join them. Just as Theia draws the first drop of blood on my neck, her weight is instantly taken off my chest. I am so taken by surprise, I begin coughing with relief, because apparently that's a thing. I sit up, feeling the wound on my leg. It stings to touch, and it's going to be inconvenient, but I think it can heal.

I look over to the direction of Theia, and see to my luck, Danix standing over her, spear held at her neck. He glares at her as she reaches for her dagger.

"Don't you dare think about killing me, or Laelia. Grab your dagger and leave now," he growls at her as she looks at him in fury. She doesn't do anything immediately, however she eventually grabs the diamond encrusted dagger and swift fully gets up. They stand staring each other for a couple of seconds, before Theia seems to see something behind Danix.

"You're lucky I hate someone enough to leave you alone for now," she hisses. With that, she sprints past Danix and leaves our presence. Danix instantly looks down at me, going to kneel beside me.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Does it look like it Danix? Get me out of here and we will talk after," I snap at him as I cope with the throbbing pain of the stab wound. Danix lifts me up and pulls the axe out of the ground, passing it to me. He begins to walk and I am about to follow him when I step forward with my leg. It feels like my leg is on fire, causing me to cry out and fall onto one knee. Danix looks behind at me with concern.

"Are you able to walk?" he asks. I squeeze my eyes shut with effort as I push myself up.

"No," I manage to splutter. He walks back over to me, looking around for people that may come to kill us. No, they are all too busy fighting each other.

"Here," he says as he puts my arm around his toned shoulder.

"You're going to have to limp," he mutters as we make our way far from the Cornucopia.

"Why didn't you kill her?" I ask. He glances at me before looking forward with a hard stare.

"I will not kill, unless I am forced to," he says firmly. I look up wearily and see where we are headed. The huge mountain looms over us, the base covered by trees and fog. I made it through the beginning, and what a bloodbath it was.

**. . .**

**Haim Peridot, 18, D1:**

I laugh as I see what remains of the girl from District 9, the first fatality of the games it seems. I cannot say I ever considered throwing an object on to the mines under someone's feet, but I commend Fletcher on that idea. Not only that, but he seems to have distracted all the other tributes from running, all but two. Quinn and Nero ignore what has happened to Ancora, and has raced ahead to the Cornucopia. I would have but in my mind, I don't see why I need to rush.

I always knew that not everyone would run in right away. The other tributes would always be anxious, not wanting to be the first to do anything, not wanting to conform to the Capitol right away. As for Quinn and Nero, I'll kill them later, they can get a head start. It definitely seems like Quinn will, especially since he comes out of the Cornucopia, fully stocked and equipped with a sword.

Once people see what he has gotten, that's when they will realise that they need to move. Unfortunately for them, I realise that a few seconds before them. Bounding off my platform, I hit the ground running. I am very fit, and very fast, so it doesn't take very long to reach the Cornucopia, and besides for those first two tributes, I am the first one here. I look behind me briefly to see that everyone except a few have begun to run towards the Cornucopia. I turn back to see Nero. He is only just getting out of the Cornucopia now, and I am barley able to register that he has two intimidating looking machetes in his hands, machetes which he swings at my oncoming head.

Nero may be strong, and very crazy, but he is also very inaccurate and uncoordinated. So he completely misses me as I shoulder roll underneath his swipe and roll back up perfectly on my feet, barley wasting any time. As I do that, I make sure I pick up a small knife that lies on the ground, and stuff it into my sleeve. I find myself in the Cornucopia, quickly grabbing two large packs before Nero attacks again. I grab a spear just in time, turning around to deflect two machetes that Nero brings down at my head. They clash against the rod of my spear, and I truly get a look of Nero's face. His eyes are almost all black, his face contoured into an ugly snarl with spit dripping from his mouth. He is actually insane, savage, uncontrollable.

Nero may be strong, but I am strong as well. I use my strength to back him up, pushing against my spear until I overpower him and force him to take a few steps back. Once he is distracted by this. I slam the butt of the spear into the side of his jaw. His head is knocked to the side, splashes of blood and spit being flung from his mouth. He growls at me and spits out a tooth or two, going on to charge at me. I think his aim is to collide his head into me, however I manage to sidestep his charge.

I slam my fist into the back of his head, causing him to stumble forward and collide into a large container. He has no time to react as I launch my spear at him. He cries out in pain, sounding like a wounded animal as the spear rips through the side of the far side of his waist. It tears off a small chunk of his skin and becomes stuck in the container that he had previously stumbled into. He looks down at his side for a second, almost acting normal for a change due to the lack of a scowl or drool. He almost looks intrigued by the wound I have inflicted on him.

It seems that once he realizes that he is bleeding, he looks alarmed. He looks up with wide eyes, before bolting off with his two machetes. Fuck! That was my chance to get my first kill, how did I miss? Well, technically I didn't miss, but. . . never mind.

I grip the rod of the spear and yank it out of the container, while constantly looking around for possible kills. The pole of the spear is very nice, sleek and black engraved with golden patterns. It shall be an artefact for future Hunger Games memorials or museums, Victor Haim Peridot's Spear. I like the sound of that. But I cannot become Victor if I don't kill people. So as I turn around, I scan for tributes that I can fight. I would _love _to be able to battle my loving and dear District partner, but she is nowhere to be seen to my eyes. I'll have to find her later.

Instead, my eyes land on somebody else. My mouth quirks up into a smirk. This could be an interesting battle. I stride towards Atlas, who stands with Libra in a protective sort of matter. He holds a golden axe in his hand, not very surprising for someone from District 7. I roll my eyes at the fact that they are with each other. They barley seemed to leave each other's side at training, and now here they are, in the arena once again inseparable.

Atlas notices me walking towards him, causing him to hold up his axe in preparation.

"Libra, find Rexx, and keep yourself safe, I'll meet up with you soon enough," he instructs her. She nods evidently frightened, a second later running away from Atlas with a knife in hand. I almost snort, a knife won't protect her against a sword or an axe. I flash Atlas a smirk.

"Well here we are, the two most attractive male tributes according to the Capitol, I don't focus on my looks, but I'm sure you do since you're such a pretty boy, Atlas. It would be a shame for me to mess up your features," I say with amusement. Atlas doesn't respond, a hard glare planted on his face.

"Aw, no banter? Shame, it would have been fun to have a little bit of banter before you die. It doesn't matter, the price for no banter, is me getting to fuck Libra," This earns a reaction. Atlas roars with anger and charges forward. Time to play. His axe makes contact with my spear, coming to a stop, level with our heads. He drags his axe down and loses contact with my spear. This gives him the opportunity to windmill and attempt to slam the axe down on my head.

I once again block it with my spear, pushing forward and shoving the axe away. I bring the spear to my side and drive it forward to stab his chest. It would have hit his heart if he hadn't have moved to the side, a mere second before it would have made contact. He does something new here, he grabs the handle of the spear, pulling me close to him and connecting his forehead into my nose. Blinding white pain flashes in front of my closed eyes. I have broken my nose before, and it fucking hurts!

I stumble back a step, holding my hands over my nose as I try to stifle the pain. It doesn't help, all that I discover, is that lots of blood is currently flowing from my nostrils. Great, I have to put it back into place now.

I look ahead of me to see Atlas raising his foot. The foot collides with my stomach, and I fall to the floor. Now I am winded and have a broken nose. Great fucking start Atlas. As I try to recover from the blow to my stomach, Atlas places his foot hard onto my chest. I see him raise his golden axe, which glints like the Cornucopia. No, not like this. Lucky I saw this through.

I take out the knife that I had managed to stuff into my sleeve in the Cornucopia. It was only small, but it definitely was enough to hurt like a bitch. I puncture it into Atlas' leg, causing him to shout out in pain. Atlas backs away before I am able to pull out the knife. He breathes through his teeth as he rips out the knife, looking at it and then at me.

"You scumbag, you aren't worth it," he spits.

"You'll get what's coming to you one day," he growls as he speeds off. Oh I don't think so, I am winning this thing. I stand up and pick my spear up off the ground. I look around to see if I can see Atlas, but I don't spot him anywhere. What I do spot however, is more than I could have asked for. Covered in blood, Theia runs for the forest island. This causes me to smile and crack my nose back into place. Theia my dear, here I come.

**. . .**

**Aramid Vicuna, 16, D6:**

What the fuck happened? I am blown away by an explosion that rocks the island. I manage to keep my balance as I am thrust to the left from a gust of hot wind from the right, something different from the cold wind we have had so far. I honestly do not know what has happened, I was preoccupied by other thoughts. I had been trying to locate Hera the entire time, as I hadn't gotten to speak to her this morning, and the next minute I am forced off my plate by a burst of air and a heavy shockwave.

I look over at where the explosion had taken place, not being able to see much as the majority of the area was covered by a giant mushroom cloud. Tributes around me scream in horror, some vomiting, while others just gape at what just happened. Do any of us run to the middle? I do not know as I am too busy trying to work out what just happened.

One of the mines must have blown up, meaning. . . someone has died. My face goes pale as a chill runs down my spine. A tribute just blew up, they are dead, gone from the world for good, literally obliterated. The question is who is it? A horrible possibility enters my mind. It wasn't Hera was it? I panic for a moment, thinking that my District partner and best friend could be dead right now. The idea is shot down by my own common sense when I realize that I had seen who was there before, and that it definitely wasn't Hera.

Ancora. It was her. The extremely rebellious one from District 9, the one we had offered to join the United Pack, but had promptly denied because joining the pack would show she is playing the game, which she absolutely did not want to do.

Now she is dead, in bits on the floor. I can see it all now that the smoke has almost fully vanished. The top half of her head rests several feet away from her plate, her fiery red hair still very distinguishable. That might be the largest bit of her that remains, because everything else is just blood and giblets. I cannot stand to look at any of it anymore, seeing it makes me sick, so instead I look forward, at the shiny golden Cornucopia. I watch as Quinn emerges, with a backpack and a sword in his hand. Shit, I forgot where we were.

Haim bolts forward, as does Fletcher. The idea of both of them getting a weapon before myself is enough to snap me into focus. I jump off my plate and sprint towards the Cornucopia. I am decently fast, but not the fastest. A few tributes make it to the Cornucopia before me, luckily not Fletcher. I make sure to pick up a knife which I stuff into my pocket, as well as a box of crackers and a small lighter. While I do this, I keep a constant watch out for Hera. Shit, I still can't see her.

I reach the entrance of the Cornucopia, and I run into the first person of our alliance. Phionex picks off a chrome axe off of the floor, just as I reach her. She turns around in an instant and is about to slam her axe into my chest, when I manage to take a few steps back.

"Woah, stop Phionex, it's me," I cry out, arms out in defence. Her face falls and she lowers her axe, looking around quickly for potential attackers.

"Quick! Grab a weapon!" she shouts, grabbing my shoulder. Our connection is cut off by a huge force that barges through the middle of us. I keep my balance and look over at the person, expecting to see Fletcher due to the massive size of the person that did it. Luckily it wasn't, it was just Ladonna, who grabs several weapons and back packs. This makes me remember what I was going to do, so I grab Phionex's wrist and drag her further into the Cornucopia.

"Watch my back," I shout over the clanging of metal on metal. She nods in confirmation as she faces the entrance of the Cornucopia, watching out for anyone that may attack us. I look at an array of weapons that have been placed on racks like they were at training. It would be too heavy to grab more than one so I have to choose now. The thing is, I don't know what type of weapon I should choose. I am good with my fists, but if I'm going up against a sword or a bow and arrow with my fists, there is no way that I would be able to win a fight like that. I was taught to use a gun as well, but obviously that would be unfair, so they do not have guns in the arena.

I realize that I have limited time, so I finally settle on a scythe. Back in Augrillian's training sessions in District 6, I watched him decimate training programs with a scythe, and it had intrigued me enough to try it out for myself every time I went. I also used it quite a bit in the Capitol, and I am not that bad.

I choose one with a black handle and a blade so silver it is almost white. I wonder how long it will be before it is soaked in warm crimson blood. I turn around and step beside Phionex.

"We need to find the others. Have you seen Hera?" I ask. My hopes are shut down when Phionex shakes her head.

"Have you seen Vince?" she asks back. I shake my head in response, causing Phionex to grit her teeth.

"Damn," she says, almost grunting.

"Come on, we will find them both, let's go," I call out. I put my red hood over my head while Phionex puts her green one on. We jog out of the Cornucopia, with me scooping up a large black backpack on the way out. I prop it onto my back and continue my run forward, the adrenaline pumping through my veins, my chest fluttering in angst. I gasp at the sight of the island, specifically close to the Cornucopia. I see bits and pieces of Ancora spread all around the island, spilled blood on the grass, and lots of it as well, people fighting aggressively and savagely, and to think we all sat together like normal people on the stage last night.

Quite a few tributes seem to have run, while others still fight and search for allies. It's a wonder that I haven't properly taken part in any of it yet. I honestly could probably get away with killing Atlas if I wanted to, nobody would know the difference of if it was me, or Haim who he is currently fighting. The problem would be though, Phionex is right by my side.

"Atlas is over there," I say, pointing at their battle. Phionex smiles.

"Good to know that he is alive," she says with a grin. She looks at me.

"It probably wouldn't be best to interrupt, it looks like Atlas might finish him off anyways," she says as she watches Atlas kick Haim in the stomach which causes him to fall.

"We should probably find the other guys, we'll meet up with Atlas later."

"We don't know where the others are though," I say looking around at the battles that take place.

"They might have had to run already," Phionex says with concern. I shake my head.

"No, they wouldn't have, they would have made sure we would be together. This arena is massive, it would be a pain in the ass to find each other," I say. She considers what I said for a moment.

"Fair point," she says.

"We'll find them trust me," I say firmly, beginning to run to the side of the Cornucopia we haven't viewed.

"I hope you're right," Phionex mutters as she follows me.

**. . .**

**Dana Woodman, 16, D12:**

I cry out as the ground around Ancora explodes. An inferno erupts from the ground, engulfing everything in the middle of Ancora's plate. Chunks of the land fall from the sky, hitting the soft green grass. I don't hear a thud as it impacts, mainly because my ears are full with the sound of the echoing explosion. I have to look away from the intense light, and the shockwave that comes with it, carrying all sorts of dust particles.

District 12 didn't often get to see explosions, as the war was never on our doorstep. They never fought over control of District 12, mainly because they saw us as just an added bonus, not a heavy advantage. So I have never really seen explosions, yet alone someone blow up as well.

"Fuck," I breathe, to shocked to even move. The first death of the games, unfairly caused before the time had even run out. I don't want to be the second, and that's when I think to myself, why am I still here? I watch as people begin to sprint off their plates, especially Haim, who leads the race, and Fletcher, who has not at all been phased by the explosion he had caused aside from a maniacal laugh. Seeing him charge forward, leads me to think one word. Run.

I run as fast as my legs can carry me, which unfortunately for me is not very fast. I grew up in District 12 okay, so being malnourished and not often being able to have energy to run is a common thing in District 12, well at least run very fast. The fact that I am not overly fast, means I am one of the last ones to reach the Cornucopia that actually run for it. Even Fletcher makes it before me, slowing down to a lumbering walk as he enters the Cornucopia. I wish I could be that confident, that I could just go anywhere I wanted knowing that I was likely to be fine. That isn't the case however, I just need to be even warier.

I need to find Rhode, that is a necessity at the moment. Step number 1, my main priority, I think I have gotten my point across. Perhaps she may be in the Cornucopia? I press myself against the outside of the cool golden horn, breathing deeply from the effort it took to run here. I watch with wide eyes at the fighting around me, further proving how dangerous it is. Hopefully she is in there, and I'll be able to grab some supplies while I'm here.

I take a deep breath and scurry around the side and into the Cornucopia. My first instinct is to look for Rhode. As I scan a few tributes, I realize none of them are her. Some tributes grab as much as they can possibly carry, while two of them fight each other. I recognise them to be Nero and Haim. My second instinct is to look for what I can grab, and to my dismay, most of the Cornucopia has been cleaned out by this point.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I mutter in disbelief. Most of it has been picked dry, all the best weapons have as well as the big back packs and other bags containing tents and materials. I will have to make do. I spot a fairly large knife, serrated and sharp lying on the floor next to the empty weapons rack. I grab the knife and hold it out in front of me in preparation for any tributes attempting to attack me. I then spot a small burlap sack, with a strap that can go from my shoulder to my waist. It's not as big and convenient as a back pack, but do I really have a choice right now?

I slip my body in between the straps, so it now rests by my waist. I need to find some more supplies, there won't be too much in the burlap bag and soon it will all be gone. I open the zip to the burlap bag and pick up a box of matches off the floor, slipping them in. I do the same with a loaf of bread which I really have to squash, a flashlight, a little packet of dried fruit, and an incredibly sharp ice pick.

I look around to see if I can salvage anything more from the empty Cornucopia, but now it truly is empty. There is no point in sticking around, I have to get out of here or die. I bolt out of the Cornucopia, remaining undisturbed as I spin around trying to spot Rhode. Where is she? We were supposed to meet up at the Cornucopia, but she isn't anywhere near the thing. Unless. . . she is behind the back of it. I crouch as I walk around the side, trying to keep off people's radar. I know for a fact that Theia was giving me greasy looks during the countdown. I make it around the side of the Cornucopia, hoping to find Rhode. It is not Rhode who I bump into.

"Dana?" says Whent in surprise. My eyes widen in shock as well.

"Woah, you're still alive?" I ask in bewilderment. It's a genuine question, and this time Whent knows it. In the Capitol, he would tell jokes and laugh and not take anything I said seriously. But after what he has probably witnessed, he is not at all that same laughing and energetic boy. So as I ask this question out aloud, he lowers his head in sadness.

"Nice to see you too I guess," he mutters.

"Well I best be off," I say casually, beginning to walk off.

"Dana! Wait!" he shouts. I roll my eyes and turn back around.

"What do you want Whent," I ask bluntly. "Make it quick, I need to get out of here." Whent looks at me almost fearfully, with wide eyes and pale skin.

"Stay with me, you can join our alliance," he says. Oh not this again.

"No Whent, I have an ally and I am trying to find her," I say firmly.

"Please Dana, you'll be safe!" he says pleadingly.

"No," I say looking him directly in the eye. With that, I turn on my heel and begin to stride away. Whent jogs up to me, calling my name out and continuing to beg. I ignore him until he puts his hand on my shoulder. I grab his wrist and turn around, pulling him close to me. My face is only an inch or two away from his, but my knife is even closer, pressed up against his neck.

"Whent, if you continue to speak, or touch me, I will be forced to kill you, you got that?" I growl. Whent nods furiously fast, raising his hands level with his head to show surrender. I shove him away and storm off, not saying another word to him. I hope he doesn't see the tearsl trickle from my eyes, or splash onto the ground. In all honesty, it was so hard to do that. Whent meant no harm, and I shut him out like a complete bitch. Why did I do that?

I continue to stumble away, trying to get as far away from Whent as I can, not wanting to change my mind and go crawling back to him. I wipe my eyes and look ahead of me, seeing the forest island.

"Hey District 12!" a voice calls out at me. I whirl around in a panic to see whoever just called out my District. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, not you, anyone but you. My panic radars begin to go off the charts as my heart begins to pump a million miles an hour. Of all people that had to find me, why did it have to be Theia Cartelle. She stands there glaring at me, a slight smirk drawn on her face. She looks like she has already been in the midst of fighting, whether she has killed anyone yet is beyond me. She slowly begins to step towards me, causing me to back away slowly. Instantly running would get me killed, as she would be faster than me anyways. I sweat heavily as I see her belt of daggers, a jewel encrusted one in her hand. She plays with it, flipping it around with her hands and caressing the blood soaked blade.

"You thought you were so high and mighty in the Pillar Trial, you thought you had beaten me. No one will ever beat me, and I am going to have to teach you a lesson for what you did," she says sinisterly. I raise my hands up, just like Whent had done to me.

"Theia please, let's just work this out," I say shakily. She cocks her head to the side and snorts. She doesn't answer immediately, which leads me to hope she is considering it.

"I'm sorry Dana, but this is the Hunger Games, you have to die at some point, and I am going to make it _very _enjoyable," she says with that psychotic expression she is known for. Theia moves so fast, I have no time at all to react. As soon as Theia finishes the sentence, her hand reaches for a dagger, which she throws with immense power. I let out a blood curdling scream as it penetrates my right kneecap, causing me to fall to the floor. I barely have time to register the pain either, before another dagger hits my other kneecap, simultaneously destroying the use of my legs.

I breathe ragged breaths as I try to stifle the pain, but there is no way to stifle the pain. It feels as if both my kneecaps were just shot with guns. Even though I am not an expert medic, I know I'll never be able to walk again. Burning hot tears sting my eyes, so much worse than before. I try to grip the handle of one of them and pry them out, but I cannot bring myself to do it.

I open my eyes and see Theia standing over the top of me, staring down at me with a crazed smile on her face. She kneels down beside me and grabs my left arm, slamming it against the ground. I don't even look, I just feel the pain as she stabs the dagger through my hand and into the ground, pinning my arm down. I cry out in vain in response to the dagger through my hand, and I completely howl when she does the same thing with my other arm. She has completely pinned me down on the ground, white hot pain pulsates throughout my body. Never have I experienced something as painful as this.

Theia holds a dagger to my lips, hushing me as I whimper like a wounded animal.

"Don't speak, this is nowhere near the worst of it," she hisses. With those words, she grabs my head and pulls it closer to hers, as she examines every inch of my face.

"Well, you won't be needing to smell anymore, I think I can take care of that." She raises the jewel encrusted dagger to my nose, and begins sawing it off from the side. I scream in agony, feeling the sharp blade cut through my nose with ease. Once she has done, I am in complete shock. My body refuses to react, my brain refuses to react, the reality of the situation is too much for me. When Theia holds up my nose for me to see, that's when I react. I vomit all over myself, the bile not at all stinking as my nose was just sawed off. Theia looks at the vomit in disgust and shakes her head. She finds _that _disgusting?

"Now let's get started on these," she says gripping my ears so hard she might tear them. This time I don't squeal so much, in fact I am getting a little woozy. Whether it be from the blood loss or the pain, I cannot tell. Theia slices off my ears in a matter of seconds, and soon enough, my hearing becomes muffled from the blood covering my ear holes. At this stage I don't scream anymore, I can't scream anymore, I don't have it in me, I just whimper.

Theia rips my jacket and shirt down the middle with her dagger, thrusting both pieces to the side showing my bare upper body. I am in no state to get embarrassed, or think about how this is for the entirety of Panem to see, all I want is for it to end. I just want her to end it now, kill me, put a stop to my misery and agony. Theia examines my bare chest, before looking at my face.

"Now I want you to see this," she hisses. Theia raises her dagger and stabs it into the middle of my chest. I thought I had no screams left, I thought I had no energy left, but the moment her knife penetrates my clavicle region, I release the worst scream I have ever uttered in my entire life. It continues as she drags the dagger down the length of my upper body, all the way until she reaches just under my belly button, sounding like the wailing of the tortured souls of hell. It does not stop when Theia, carves the dagger horizontally at the bottom and top of the wound, it does not stop when she pries her fingers into the wound and rips my chest and abdominals open like two flaps, it doesn't even stop when she raises my head, and forces me to look inside the contents of my body, to look at my still beating heart, and every other organ located inside of me. It only stops because of two reasons.

It stops because Theia rips out my large intestine, and shoves it into my open mouth, making me chew by moving my jaw up and down. It stops because after a minute of chewing, I pass out from the pain. It stops, because everything goes black. It stops, because everything remains black.

**. . .**

**Naomi Ennedes, 13, D11:**

The explosion frightens me so much, I begin to hiccup. My knees become so shaky that I collapse onto my hands and knees on the plate. The dreadful sounds of the explosions echoes continuously in my head. Causing me to sob uncontrollably. Make it stop, please, someone make it stop! I internally scream as I hold my hands to my ears, trying to block out everything.

_No, don't do that Naomi, don't focus on what has happened, you knew people were going to die, don't think too much about it when it happens. Just do what Quinn told you, find your Whent, Ladonna and Cassie, get Ladonna to get supplies, and escape._

I take a deep breath as I prepare myself to open my eyes, fearing the worst for what I will witness. I open my eyes to see almost everyone still where they began. I look to the plate beside me, discovering that Quinn has already left. A lot of smoke covers the area located to my right, so that's where the explosion took place.

Most people are recovering from the explosion, looking at the events unfold from behind their shielding arm, others rubbing their eyes, some even getting up after collapsing. I myself am still kneeled on my plate. The smoke begins to fade, and I finally see what has happened. I wish I hadn't. bits and pieces of an actual human has spread out after the blast, and the reality of seeing actual body parts blown to smithereens makes me vomit. It comes gushing out like a fountain, maybe from all the water I drank, all over the floor it spills.

I feel as if I am about to faint from seeing something so. . . gory. Why did I not visit the gore station at training? I am on all fours, hunched over spluttering and convulsing due to all my vomit being extinguished. I groan as I look up wearily, noticing people have run for the Cornucopia. No, if our alliance is going to survive, I have to move now. I push myself up onto shaky legs, my chest twisted in knots with concern. Against all odds, the four of us were reasonably close together. I stumble to my left until I make it to Cassie. She hasn't moved the entire time, just staring at all the action unfold in front of her.

"Cassie, we need to move, now!" I instruct her weakly. Her eyes are wide and fearful, not even acknowledging me to have reached her. Her face is pale, still, and eerily distant.

"Cassie, come on listen to me!" I say louder this time. Surely she can't ignore me anymore. Yet she does, it's like I don't exist.

"Please Cassie, let's go!" I shout pleadingly. This time I shake her, gripping her shoulder and rocking her back and forth. This time she turns her head towards me.

"We are all going to die Naomi Ennedes," she says softly. My mouth drops open in surprise my eyebrows raising in shock.

Why did she just call me by my full name? Why did she just say we are all going to die? I am suddenly scared to be with Cassie. There is something about her, that isn't her. She isn't acting like her usual self. There isn't much time to question it now, so I instead grab her wrist and pull her away. I expect her to resist, to refuse to move, yet she allows me to drag her along. I look around to see if I can spot Ladonna, thankfully spotting her shouting our names.

"Ladonna!" I call out. She turns towards me and looks at us with relief.

"Thank god," she says with a grin.

"Here is what you need to do, run into the Cornucopia, grab us supplies and weapons, and meet us back here, we are going to search for Whent," I instruct her. She nods firmly and turns around, bounding towards the Cornucopia.

"Do you know where Whent is Cassie?" I ask. Why did I even bother asking? Cassie doesn't respond at all, once again dead to the world. Great, it's up to me alone to find Whent. I take a deep breath and prepare to walk, when I realise that I will be dragging Cassie along with me. Do I want to do that? It would be easier to sneak around without Cassie, that's for sure. T's a tempting offer, especially since, no offence to Cassie, she is kind of useless at the moment. I am about to go that route, when I remember who I am.

I am not someone that is just going to abandon their friends. I could get back and Cassie could be missing, or even worse, dead. To leave Cassie would be inhumane, and I would never forgive myself. No matter how frightened I am, I will always put my friends first.

I take Cassie along as I steadily walk towards the Cornucopia. I can see inside, seeing it is occupied by people like Ladonna, Fletcher, and Haim. Whent isn't in there luckily, so he must be outside or behind the Cornucopia. Jogging around to the back, I am fortunate enough to discover Whent. Upon first looking at him, I know that something is wrong. He stares blankly with sad eyes and an evident frown.

"Whent?" I say as I gaze upon him. I am relieved to find out he isn't like Cassie when he turns to me as soon as I speak his name.

"She was about to kill me?" he says in disbelief. I stop in my tracks, looking at him with confusion.

"Who was about to kill you?" I ask.

"Dana," he cries out.

"Dana?"

"Yes, I begged her to join our alliance because I didn't want her to die, and she ended up threatening to kill me," he says with heavy sadness.

"And she cried as she walked off," he adds on with confusion, looking down at the floor. He looks up at me, making contact with my eyes.

"What is that meant to tell me?" he says angrily. I need to think of something quickly so I can get him to come with us.

"Whent, maybe she just didn't want to get closer to you in case you die, she was like a sister to you right? I think she did it so she wouldn't become attached to you," I suggest. He sighs and looks at me with hope.

"You think so?"

"I know so," I confirm. "Now let's get out of here before we die." He nods and follows me as we run back the way I came. Ladonna stands at where I told her we would meet her, tapping her feet on the ground while she waits. She sees us and lightens up, making her way over. She reaches us and gives us a weapon each, thrusting a sickle into Cassie's hands, a bow and a sheath of arrows into mine, and a purple sword into Whent's. I looks at it in confusion while Whent looks at it with excitement.

"What is that made out of?" I ask. Whent looks at me with a beam on his face.

"Obsidian, we used to find quarries of it while we were coal mining, but it became very rare after the Capitol took it all," he informs me in excitement.

"Come on guys, let's go," Ladonna urges us, holding up a heavy Warhammer.

"Oh I don't think so." I freeze as I hear a voice speak these words. Powerful and amused it sounds, it comes from behind us. We all turn to see probably the worst fright I have ever experienced. Fletcher stands there, humongous sword in hand, and grinning like a shark. I raise my weapon shakily, drawing back the arrow and aiming it at his heart. He looks at me and laughs, swinging around his gigantic sword as if it were a stick.

"How cute, you think you can kill me? I suppose you can dream right? Let me strike you a deal, I let all of you get away with all your body parts attached, if you pass me over the little bitch," he says with a growl at the end as he points at Cassie.

He is allowing us to live, if we hand over Cassie? I half expect Ladonna and Whent to jump at the offer, however neither of them move, instead both keep their weapons drawn. This makes me smile with pride, causing me to keep the arrow trained over his heart.

"We deny your offer, we don't just hand over our friends," I call out defiantly. He chuckles and shakes his head.

"Well I'm just going to have to do the job myself," he says, starting to walk forwards.

"Don't move any further, or I'll let the arrow fly," I shout. Seeing Fletcher about to stride towards us has gotten my heart pumping, making me far more nervous than I had just been. He examines me with a smirk, before speaking again.

"I think I'll take my chances," he hisses. He leaves me no choice. Fletcher begins to walk forward again, and that's when I release the arrow. I watch it sail across the distance between us. I expect to her the _thwack _of the arrow making contact with his heart, but to my horror, that doesn't happen. Fletcher slams the sword down on the arrow, causing it to snap mid-air into two pieces. It all happens so slow from then on.

Fletcher sneers at me and begins to run forward. Cassie is beside me, watching her death play out in front of her with silent eyes. Fletcher is about to strike the sword up from the ground and into her stomach. As this happens, I remember how I had promised to put my friends before myself, whatever it took. I have a moment to move, dropping my bow and pushing Cassie out of the way and into the hands of Ladonna.

The sword rips into my abdominals, going out through my back. I am I shock, the pain existing but being stifled by the adrenaline. There is a moment, that everyone just stands still in shock. Fletcher looks at me, his eyes widening in surprise. I hear Ladonna's scream echo through my foggy mind, and Whent stands there looking upon the situation in horror.

I cough out blood, the crimson liquid splattering on Fletcher's face. I turn to Ladonna, croaking one word.

"Run."

I hope they do, because I don't pay attention to them again. I feel my feet lifted off the ground and turn back to Fletcher. He raises my impaled body by lifting the sword, until my face is level with his. He looks at me with complete and utter rage, but I am satisfied, happy, all because I stopped him from getting what he wanted. I saved my friends lives.

"You shouldn't have done that," he growls. Fletcher single-handedly lifts the sword with his left hand, freeing his right arm for use. He raises it up to my throat, latching onto the front of it. I cannot scream as his fingers penetrate the front of my throat. I cannot breathe either, as he grips it and rips it out.

He stares at me with cold, evil eyes, as I gurgle, trying to breathe. His eyes are the last thing I ever see as I finally choke to death on my own blood.

**. . .**

**Oh. My. God. That was so incredibly hard to write, you have no idea. Those were some horrible ways to go, and I am definitely sorry for anyone I may have scarred. I really hope that was worth the wait, and that it was good enough. I understand that it wasn't the most fatal Bloodbath, but it is the First Hunger Games, and many of the tributes were not prepared to kill. That obviously changes further down the line, with 11 deaths in the 74****th****. You have to understand as well, if I kill too many off in the Bloodbath, I won't have too many characters to work with. Imagine an SYOT with only 13 tributes in the games. See?**

**Anyways, if your tribute wasn't mentioned, don't worry they aren't dead or on the brink of fatality, although some may have received minor injuries. Now let's move onto the Eulogies.**

**. . .**

**Eulogies-**

**Ancora: **You were arguably the most rebellious tribute out of the lot, and you refused to give into the Capitol. I really liked you as a character, you were very interesting and I would have loved to develop your character more. I'm confident most knew that she wouldn't get very far, but she was a great addition to have to the story. I really wanted to have that memorable death of killing someone before the timer was finished, and you were the perfect tribute to pick. You went out the way you were requested, defying the Capitol and with a big bang.

**Naomi: **You were very innocent, very young, and realistically would never have survived the Bloodbath, and you didn't. I did like you as a character, you weren't my favourite, but you were always there to add some realism. You died to develop the rest of your alliance, and you died a hero. I wish I could have developed you more, but I needed tributes to die in the bloodbath, so I chose you before I could get too attached. You will always be the sweet girl that wanted the best fir her friends.

**Dana: **This was the hardest death to write. I'm so sorry the way you died, I might have gotten a little too carried away lol. It was hard to write not only because of how gruesome it was, but I genuinely loved you as a character. You were sassy, rebellious, strong minded, I definitely regret not developing you more. There were so many reasons that I had to kill you though. I needed to kill you so Rhode would now be partnerless, I needed to kill you to develop Whent, there are quite a few and they are all to benefit the story. It sucks even more because FantasyWorld, you are one of the few that still review, and I'm really sorry that I killed your tribute, but it had to be done. Forgive me please.

**Check out my profile for the name of the next chapter, cannot say when I will be getting it out but I hope it's soon. I'm starting school again soon :( **

**-Ares**


	34. Scattering of United Brethren

**Libra Spindle, 16, D8:**

My hand shakes with the steel blade gripped tightly in my fist. After all of what I have just seen, I don't know if I'll ever stop shaking. Seeing Ancora just blown up in front of my eyes, nobody could have prepared me for what that would do to me. The affect, it is taking a huge toll on me. Every time I blink I see the explosion erupt from the ground, or the mutilated body of Dana a bit further away.

I don't know who did that to her, but whoever did, is likely the biggest threat in this arena. How am I meant to win this? I couldn't do anything like that, I wouldn't bring myself to do such a savage act. Removing someone's life from existence? How could someone live with knowing they did that to someone? That had friends and family, hopes and dreams, I just don't understand it.

Yet I stand here now, blade in hand with the aim of killing someone in order to defend myself. You are so hypocritical. A sound bursts from the sky above, sounding like a jet or an engine. I look up to see a hovercraft materialize out of thin air, the same way it did when it came to pick me up. Countless claws emerge from the bottom, each reaching down towards the metal plates. I see each one pick up a piece of Ancora, dragging the pieces back into the hovercraft.

It then travels over to the body of Dana. I watch now as a single claw emerges, reaching down for Dana's corpse. I have to look away, so I close my eyes and turn my head, shaking severely at the images burned into my mind of Dana. I cannot stand to look at her again, and I do not open my eyes until I am positive it has lifted her body up into the aircraft.

Now it travels to another destination, the claw one again re-emerging from the aircraft. It lowers down and picks up the body of a little girl, small in size and lifeless as Dana. For a second I think it is the little 12 year old from District 10, Cassia. But then I recognize the ruby red lips, and I remember who it is. Nobody has lips as red as those. Naomi. I cry out in sorrow, at the death of an innocent little girl, who was always cheerful and loving towards her allies. I never spoke to her but I did see her actions. I always thought that little alliance was cute, and how destroyed it must be now.

The hovercraft disappears from view, and I am left looking at the spot it had been, now just empty purple. I flinch at what comes after, a loud boom that reminds me of the explosion. It echoes across the arena, followed up by another, and one to finish off the lot ending at a total number of three. Three cannons, representing three dead tributes.

I sigh and turn around, looking upon my alliance. The United Pack. We all survived the initial start, which they are dubbing as the Bloodbath. All the other tributes have scattered, escaping into the numerous islands located around us, while we have taken custody over the Cornucopia. Vince hugs Phionex, having finally reunited after the Bloodbath, and Aramid and Hera wearily chat to each other. Rexx sits quietly, examining his sword with interest, and Minho sits cleaning his blade, having just applied a bandage to a decent sized wound on his upper arm. All of us look disgruntled, worn, and rather unhappy. Some of us are wounded more so than others, while fights have made us dirty and grimy.

I blink slowly, wishing that I wasn't here right now, but of course it wouldn't come true. Wishes are like fairytales, desired and non-existent. I rub my tired eyes and sigh, looking down at my knife. It's so. . . underwhelming compared to the other weapons that I have seen, I wish that I could have a better weapon, so I could at least look a _little _intimidating. Who am I kidding? I don't look intimidating.

I feel a presence at my side, and I look at the person, smiling when I see them. Atlas, with his bandaged up leg wound he had received from his fight with Haim. I was very concerned when I first saw the wound, however he told me it wasn't very deep. He even had the knife that he got stabbed with to prove it, and it wasn't a very long knife. He smiles wearily and puts his arm around my shoulder, which makes me feel 10 times safer.

"You feeling alright?" he asks me softly. I laugh softly.

"I should be asking you the same thing," I reply. He chuckles and looks down at his wound.

"I'll be fine, Haim will get what is coming to him," he says darkly. Atlas had told me he didn't kill Haim, as if killing him would do little to benefit him. I refrained from making the point that this is the Hunger Games and killing him would have provided one less player to kill, mainly because I'm happy that Atlas didn't kill anyone. I don't want him to be ruined by the guilt of killing others, no matter how horrible that person may be.

"On the bright side, he may take out some people for us," he says shrugging. I shudder at the thought of what Haim might do to anyone he finds, so I shake it from my mind.

"We were going to go hunting, so you might want to grab some of the supplies, as well as a better weapon," he says as he looks down at my petite blade. I nod in agreement, slipping the blade into my pocket. We trudge over to the heap of supplies that we have collected, a medium-sized pile of back packs, tents, sleeping bags, and an assortment of other survival necessities. I grab a large back pack, coincidentally purple to match my hood. I guess I'm fully representing District 8 now?

The weapons we managed to claim are to the right of the supply pile, all lined in a row. Most of us have laid out our weapon with the others, while Minho and Rexx still hold their own weapons. There are enough weapons here for some people to have double, even to dual wield if they wish. I shake my head at that thought. I already do not want to have to use my weapon, why would I want to use another as well?

I decide upon a very thin sword, as light as air and coming with a sheath that I can wear on my back as well. I am not our alliances tank, or the one to wield heavy weight weapons, so this is the perfect weapon for me. Everyone else finally stops what they are doing and finds themselves at the pile, the entirety of it vanishing after everyone takes an item or two. The guys hold not only the sleeping bags and the one or two tents we have, but their own back pack as well. After everyone has taken a weapon or two, I think we are ready.

"Which island first?" Vince asks, scratching his head.

"Which one do you think the most tributes ran to?" Aramid asks. Vince shrugs his shoulders in response.

"I think we shou-" Atlas begins to speak, but his words are cut off. My face scrunches in confusion, looking at him with question. He looks lost, and confused himself, yet I cannot tell why. Not for the first couple of seconds at least. Shortly after, I notice that the temperature has dropped drastically, and the wind picks up intensely, blowing our hair so it waves with the wind flow. We all look around, bewildered at how it had just been relatively calm, to such sudden change in weather.

"Uh, guys? What's happening?" Minho asks.

"I-I don't know," Hera replies, sounding relatively scared. I look at the faces of my allies, noticing that they are starting to fade, or disappear. My eyes widen and I look around, noticing that everything is beginning to fade away. It appears that the others are beginning to realize the exact same thing, all crying out in dismay and confusion. It's fog, the same fog that outlines the middle island, except now it is everywhere, and I can barely see a foot in front of me. I can no longer see any of my allies, despite hearing their shouting.

Their shouting is drowned out by a deafening crack, causing me to raise my hands to my ears. What was that!? Another cannon? It's a moment later that it happens again, followed up by more and more, refusing to cease. It's not a cannon, it is lightning. The winds pick up even harder, beginning to blow so hard I can barely stay on my feet. To add to the situation, we are pelted with heavy drops of rain, which pour down on us and hurt my skin. I cannot hear myself scream, but I definitely know I did. It feels as if the rain drops are bruising me, and this causes me to think logically, I need to get out of here.

I stumble around, putting on my purple hood and trying to feel for my allies, yet I cannot properly find them. I call out for names, however I cannot even hear myself calling out, how would they? I have to squint to be able to open my eyes, even though all I see is a light grey, growing darker by the second. What is going on? Why are they doing this? We just survived the start! I stumble forward, judging that to be the area that some of the others were just seconds ago. Either they have already left or I am way off, because I feel around, reaching outwards and touching nothing but raindrops.

I cannot stay here. I need to move, and that is when I realize just what is going on. The others might have already fled. They want to separate the alliance, make it more challenging. Despite the intensity of the rain, my eyes widen in a panic. Atlas! I need to find him!

I try to call out his name once more, but if anything, the noise has become louder, and my voice is overpowered by the roar of the thunder. I sob as I stand in one spot, yet I cannot tell if tears run down my face, the rain camouflaging any tears there may be. I gasp as I feel someone grab my wrist, turning me around swiftly to face them. I squint to see their shadow, but I cannot tell who it is. I can tell that it is a boy however, I can only hope it is Atlas.

I can distantly hear them shouting at me, trying to communicate. It is not their words that cause me to understand what they are trying to do, but the fact that they pull on my wrist. They want me to come with them. Without hesitation, I begin to trudge through the intense storm, the powerful wind and the roaring thunder taking up the mantle of the biggest challenges, although the rain is very close behind.

The boy pulls me close to him, trying to shield me from the rain. I look around with scared eyes, still seeing nothing but fog. No, that's not all I see. I see another figure now. This time it's the figure of a girl, who has yet to put on her hood. The hood looks black, making me think it is District 12's hood for a moment, until I realize Dana just got tortured to death and that all the hoods look black in this fog.

We reach the girl, and I faintly hear the boy call out to her. She doesn't appear to notice, but instead just shields her face from the rain. My companion taps her on the shoulder, which causes her to turn around. She instantly takes his hand and helps us against the winds force. We continue to trudge through the direction she had been in, and I start to notice some things. The wind begins to die down, while the rain comes down lighter. The lightning is nowhere near as loud now, perhaps because the Gamemakers have begun to lower the decibels it produces.

I squint my eyes shut, feeling the rickety wooden planks of the bridge, and now only hearing distant thunder accompanied by the heavy breathing we are making. My head pounds from the noise it just endured, and I shiver as I am hit by a slight breeze, still cold, but only a breeze. It's likely even colder due to how wet we are at the moment. The rain has ceased and I finally hear nothing except for our intense breathing. My eyes are still squeezed shut while by hands are frozen and rigid, still gripping the person that saved me. I manage to pry my hand away and collapse forward. I expect to hit hard rocks or damp leaves from the forest, instead my landing is cushiony. Cushiony, and frozen. I feebly look up and open my eyes, seeing a soft bed of frozen snow.

Seeing the snow causes me to shiver once again, developing goose bumps up and down my arms.

"Libra, are you okay?" a voice asks, panting from behind me. I roll over and look behind me, laying my eyes upon my savior. Rexx. Rexx saved me. His normally thick, black hair, which curls slightly with length, is now matted and wet. His purple hood has now been taken off and he holds his obsidian sword embedded into the ground as he kneels behind it. Directly next to Rexx, is Hera, who stands shaking vigorously with heavy puffs of white vapor leaving her mouth.

"I-I think," I stutter in shock at what has just happened. He bows his head and ceases panting for a moment.

"There is just one problem," he mutters.

"What is that?" I ask. He looks up at me.

"We have lost the others." My heart twinges at those words. I was right, they wanted to separate us, and now, I have lost Atlas.

"So we've lost Aramid as well?" Hear asks in fear. Rexx nods his head grimly, which causes Hera to collapse into the snow, sitting down with a look of depression on her face.

"This arena is so big, how do we know if we will ever find them again? How do we know that they won't die before we can reunite?" Hera asks in fear, eyes glassy as she looks at Rexx for answers. Rexx sighs deeply, and shrugs his shoulders.

"There is no guarantee that we will ever see them again," he says bitterly. The words hit me hard, Rexx's logic hitting me with a sense of reality. I may never see Atlas alive again.

* * *

**Danix Bait, 17, D4:**

The cannons sounded about half an hour ago. Three of them. Three people dead, three people that we have been living with for the past week that are now murderers. Of course, someone could have killed more than one tribute, so that is always a possibility. Now the question I ask myself is, why in the world did I choose the mountain island to take Laelia to? We have been hiking for close to an hour, and it is so much larger than I would have ever imagined, plus Laelia is injured as it is, so that is taking its toll on the distance we could be covering.

Laelia grunts next to me in an effort to climb. I must admit, I am very impressed at the effort she has put in at the moment. I commend her on her determination. Aside from that, I know she is struggling. I have been helping her up the path we have chosen the entire time, from the moment I saved her to this second. Not once have we stopped and not once has my arm left her shoulders that are there to begin with for support.

"Danix. . . Stop. . . Break. . . Now," she wheezes. I look around for a moment to make sure the coast is clear, once I have determined that it is, I place her down on a fallen tree trunk. She lets out a breath of relief as she sits back against another tree, looking at me with weary eyes.

"Can you please check out my leg?" she requests, voice raspy.

"Once you have drank some water, of course," I say, digging into my back pack. She cocks her head to the side and smirks.

"Do you even have water?" she asks with a tone of bemusement. I continue to look at the contents of my bag. An apple, matches, and tons more items, all that aren't water. I shake my head grimly and look back up at her.

"Pass me your back pack," I instruct her. She groans as she leans forward, propping her axe against the log and taking off the bag off her back. She throws it to me, with it barely making the distance.

_She is weak, dehydrated, and perhaps hungry. She needs rest._

"There needs to be water in this bag, otherwise we are in slight trouble," I mutter, unzipping the bag and once again sorting through the items.

"Aha," I say in triumph, grabbing a metallic bottle. I screw open the lid and look inside, instantly frowning at what I see, or maybe it is better to say what I don't see. What I don't see, is water, just emptiness. I drop the bottle in defeat and look at Laelia, who looks at me piteously.

"Maybe we can find a river?" she suggests. I shake my head as I look around.

"Have we seen a river the entire way up? No, and we are basically at the top, so what can we do now?" I ask in frustration. My eyes lighten up.

"Hold that thought, I know what we are doing," I say before she can answer. She hums a laugh and shifts her position to be more comfortable.

"Yeah? And what is that?" she asks with her arms crossed. I look ahead at the path we were following, seeing it still leads upwards.

"Wait here," I instruct her. She gives me a look of annoyance.

"Well, of course you idiot, I can't exactly move anywhere on my own yet," she calls out to me as I continue on the path ahead of us. We were almost near the top, and what did I see at the top of this mountain when we were on the metal plates at the Cornucopia? Snow, brilliant white snow. And it just so happens, that I see some now as well. I jog up to it, reaching it after about a minute of walking away from Laelia. I once again unscrew the lid of the bottle, and fill it with the pale white snow. It freezes my hands to do so, and I wish to myself that I had gloves in this cold climate.

When I return to Laelia, she gives me a look of confusion.

"What was that about?" she asks.

"Snow, we can melt down snow for water," I say with excitement. She looks at me skeptically.

"What if it has bacteria?" she asks uncertainly. I shake my head in amusement.

"We have to melt the snow to be able to drink it first, and the heat will kill the bacteria in it," I inform her. She mouths the word 'oh' before nodding in approval. I stand up and search around the area for some sticks I can use for a fire. We are lucky the area isn't wet, as then it will be a lot harder to light the wood on fire.

"Should you use some leaves? They are pretty easy to light on fire," Laelia suggests. I shake my head in disapproval.

"Leaves cause a lot more smoke than just regular fire, and that is not what we need at the moment, people to know our position," I inform her as I pile the sticks into the way I was shown at training.

"We are lucky we have matches, trying to light a fire with sticks or a flint and steel is much more difficult," I mutter as I pull the matches out from my bag.

"Yeah such a fucking relief, because lighting a fire is our biggest concern right now," Laelia says with heavy sarcasm as she points at her wound. I roll my eyes as I open the box of matches.

"We don't need your pessimism write now Laelia," I say with mild amusement.

"Well I beg to differ," she says with her nose turned up. I strike the match against the side of the box on the rough sand paper like material, causing a flame to spark onto the end. Fantastic. I hold it against the pile of wood, until the pile catches the flame and becomes alight.

Once the whole pile has lit up, I balance the metal bottle on the blazing flames.

"Now we will sort you out while we wait for this to melt," I say with a sigh. Laelia groans with a nod.

"Alright," she mutters as she begins to slide off her pants. My eyebrows rise in surprise and I instantly raise my hands.

"Woah what're you doing?" I ask frantically. Laelia rolls her eyes at me.

"I'm taking off my pants so you can see the wound," she says in a tone that tells me I should be knowing this. Well, I'm stupid apparently.

"Oh, right, my mistake I didn't think about that," I say sheepishly. She laughs as she takes the waist of the pants down to her knees.

"Such a gentlemen Danix, don't worry I'm wearing undergarments if that makes you feel more comfortable," she says with a smirk. I nod and sit by the leg that bears the wound. I remember spotting a first aid kit when I was going through Laelia's bag, so that helps an absolute ton. I pull it out and open it up, now facing the wound to examine it. It's a pretty ugly wound, and very inconvenient. I'm confident it isn't fatal though, especially since we are getting to it early. It looks pretty deep, but not to the point that it hits bone. The area around it is red from blood, so I scrub the blood away with a wipe. No water to wash that off unfortunately.

Laelia cringes, biting her lip as I clean out the inside of her wound, rightfully so as well. Some of the wounds my dad inflicted on my had to be cleaned out in quite a similar fashion to this, so I've had quite a bit of practice healing wounds, luckily for Laelia. But the point is, this shit stings.

"Okay, all I'm going to do now Laelia, is wrap it up in a bandage," I inform her. She nods, eyes squinted shut and intensely biting her lip. I grab a cotton pad and rest that over the stab wound, which it nicely covers. I then go on to roll out the bandage and wrap it around her leg, cutting it off when I feel it is finished and pinning it together to stay in place.

"Alright, done! You can get you pants back on now," I say with a chuckle. She grins and pulls them back up over the wound.

"You are really uncomfortable about me having no pants aren't you?" she teases. I shake my head and sit down next to the fire.

"No not really, but aren't you like. . . embarrassed, since this is on national television and all?"

She questions what I have asked for a couple of seconds before shaking her head.

"Nah, I had many friends that were prostitues back in District 5, they have kind of desensitized me to the awkwardness of being naked," she informs me with a smile. My eye brows raise at that statement.

"Were you a. . .?" I ask skeptically, trailing off. Her face falls into a scowl.

"What? No of course not, just because I knew people that were doesn't mean I was," she assures me with a snort.

"Ah, right, I'm not very familiar with the presence of prostitutes, especially since there weren't ever any in District 4 that I knew of, and gods forbid if my father had ever thought of me to be around any," I say rather darkly. Laelia purses her lips as she observes me.

"No offence, but your father doesn't sound like a very pleasant person," she says sympathetically. I snort at those words.

"None taken, he isn't pleasant in the slightest," I reply sounding bitter and angry. Laelia looks down at the ground for a moment, before her head perks up once again.

"Has the snow melted yet?" she asks with interest. Something tells me she may have just been trying to change the topic.

"It must be by now," I guess, grabbing the metal bottle so it is out of the fire.

"Fuck," I spit as I feel the burn of the hot metal, causing me to drop the bottle. My hand throbs with pain as I examine my fingers. Red, but not severely burned. I only touched it for a second or two.

"Hold on Laelia, I'm going to put this in the snow to cool it down," I grunt, grabbing the canister through a bunch of leaves.

"Be quick, I may die of thirst soon enough," she croaks as I jog back up to the snow. I look around me for potential animals I may see as well. We have got some food, but a good rabbit would suffice much more. The arena has become much darker, making it a lot harder to see. Dusk has caught up to us, meaning the day will come to an end soon enough.

I reach the snow and thrust the steaming bottle into the cool puffy substance, causing a sizzle to sound and steam to rise up. Much better. I am a little thirsty myself, but Laelia requires it a lot more than I do, especially since she has lost quite a bit of blood. I am picking up the bottle when I notice something I did not when I was here earlier. Perhaps it was due to it being too lit to see, but since it is darker and the sun has almost set, I can see a light coming from a rock higher up in the clearing of snow. I eye it with caution, thinking of all the possibilities it could be. A trap, a mutt, another tribute, those are all things I would love it to not be.

Despite these possibilities, it still intrigues me to wonder what could be emitting the light from behind the massive Boulder like rock.

"Danix!" Laelia calls, calling me to jump. Idiot Danix, get yourself together, nobody else is here but you. Unless there is a mutt or tribute behind the Boulder, could they have heard it? I doubt it, they are too high up.

Instead of calling back to Laelia, I jog back to her, making it to the fire in no time. She glances up at me, while I still look up at the distant boulder hesitantly.

"Everything okay?" she asks softly. I swallow for a moment before blinking and glancing back at her.

"Yeah, I think so, here's the water," I say uncertainly, handing her the metal bottle. She screws open the lid and takes a few swigs of the drink, panting heavily once she takes a break for air.

"My goodness, that is the best thing I have experienced all day," she sighs, leaning her head against the tree and closing her eyes, holding up the bottle for me to take. I grab it from her and raise it to my lips, slowly sipping on it rather than sculling it down. It's warm from the fire, yet that doesn't seem to matter for me, especially with how cold it currently is. The temperature has definitely plummeted now that the sun has lowered, and the small campfire we have illuminates the whiteness that we breathe out. Luckily for us, the breeze has most definitely ceased, whether it is from the numerous trees protecting us, or it has just stopped altogether.

I lower the bottle from my mouth, seeing it has about a quarter left inside of water, so I screw the lid on top and place it in my bag. I watch Laelia, who looks very peaceful at this moment in time. Her usual scowl is all but present, making her features softer and more innocent. She looks at me and smiles.

"You know, I didn't think I would have the ability to be able to sleep tonight, but in all honesty I'm absolutely exhausted. It's just a shame that it is so cold," she comments, blowing out white breath and staring at it.

"I know what you mean, I'll keep guard tonight if you want," I offer. She looks at me appreciatively, nodding in agreement.

"That would be nice, thank you," she whispers.

"You know, you're a lot more polite when you're tired," I joke, chuckling when her face becomes a scowl.

"Be careful, I will not hesitate to slap you," she threatens playfully. I laugh at her threat, knowing that she probably will if she wants to. This playful and joking humor, or atmosphere even, it's a nice distraction to what the situation really is like. The situation of being trapped in an arena where the only way out is to be the last one left. I frown, thinking of the light that was emitting from behind the Boulder. I need to check that out, to make sure we are safe.

"Laelia?" I ask to make sure she is still awake.

"Yah," she jolts awake rubbing her eyes groggily.

"When I went to cool down the water, there was a light that I could see. I think we should make sure it isn't anything dangerous like another tribute or a mutt," I inform her. She blinks herself awake, looking at me evidently confused.

"A light?" I nod in confirmation, causing her to lean forward.

"We should go together, separating would be a bad idea," she says as she scratches her head.

"Are you up for it?" I ask. She nods firmly, grunting as she lifts herself up onto one leg, leaning against the tree for support. She slowly steps down on her injured leg, her face growing increasingly pained. She comes to a point where she stops, before quickly thrusting her healthy leg forward. She looks at me with glee.

"I am able to limp!" she says with excitement. I flash her a toothy grin, before picking up her axe and passing it to her. I then pick up my spear, and put both packs on my back, ready to leave. The process is somewhat lengthy, especially once we make it to the snow which Laelia struggles to walk through even more.

Eventually we make it to the Boulder, and stand with our back leant up against it. I instruct Laelia with hand movements, which she nods her head to in understanding. I raise a finger to my lips, telling her to be quiet, and then I jerk my hand to the direction of the light. I turn to the direction, taking a deep breath before I leap in front of the light. Laelia follows up, raising her axe in readiness. We both gasp in disbelief at what we see. I expected a tribute, mutts, or even a trap. What I didn't expect was a cave, a cave with a warming fire, and a pile of food to accompany it.

Both Laelia and I give each other a glance of hesitation, before I step into the cave.

* * *

**Liesel Varner, 15, D3:**

"Can. . . You. . . Stop. . . Walking?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I'm getting far away from that place as possible."

"I-I think. . . oh god I'm going to faint. . . That you. . . Have distanced yourself. . . Quite enough." I stop at a halt, feeling him stumble into my back wheezing and coughing. I turn angrily towards him, looking at his gasping pale face, dripping with sweat.

"Are you seriously struggling that much Dayta?" I ask crossing my arms. He pants heavily, one hand on his knee while he holds up one finger that signals me to wait. He looks up after a minute or two, not looking too much better.

"I'm not exactly, in pinnacle form, and you walk so damn fast, and we have walked for so damn long," he complains, continuing to breathe in quick shallow breaths.

"I'm about the brains, not the brawn."

"Hey, I didn't ask you to follow me," I say with a shrug. He looks at me with slight annoyance.

"Hey, if it wasn't for me, you could be dead!" he bites back, spitting on the floor. Now that is true to an extent. I had been fighting Minho, when he had gained the upper hand. I had given one slice to him, while he had hit me a couple of times with his blade, not badly enough to severely injure me, but it still wasn't very pleasant. Just as he was about to fatally stab me, Dayta managed to temporarily paralyze him, with one of his pressure point tricks. I got the fuck out of there, and then Dayta came with me.

"I didn't even ask, why'd you do that?" I ask. It is his turn to shrug, leaning against an oak tree.

"Well, you are my District partner, regardless of the fact that if I am to get home you will need to die," he says with a toothy grin. I roll my eyes and lean against the tree opposite him.

"Yeah like that's going to happen," I say sarcastically. He throws me a greasy look before digging into his bag to pull out a bottle of water.

"I told you that's what I would do against a tribute, remember on the train? I mentioned the pressure points, you obviously didn't think they would work, and they saved your life," he brags, taking a swig of water. I sigh in annoyance.

"Okay fine, thank you. Is that what you wanted? A thank you?" I ask in exasperation. He looks at me smugly, with that infuriating cheeky grin.

"I want you to admit that I saved your life." I produce a scowl and cross my arms.

"Why do you want that?" I ask through gritted teeth, while rolling my eyes.

"Because that would make you acknowledge that I am not completely useless."

"Ugh, do I have to?"

"Yep."

"Will you drop this after I say it?"

"If you wish."

"What was it that I had to say?"

"That I saved yo-"

"Yeah, yeah I get it. Dayta, you saved my life." It pains me to say it, and it pains me to see his satisfied smirk, so I grab his nose and pinch hard.

"Ow ow ow, stop Liesel stop," he pleads. I let go of his nose, now being the one to smirk while he angrily rubs his nose.

"Why did you pinch so hard? I think it's going to swell up," he groans.

"It was quite satisfying, what can I say?" I sit down on the leaf covered ground, sitting up against the same tree. The breeze blows softer than in the open grassland of the Cornucopia, still cool, but not freezing. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't stopped moving up until now, as to why the cold breeze isn't affecting me so much. In fact it feels quite refreshing, even though it is almost pitch black dusk.

"See, it was a good decision to rest," Dayta say dreamily as he lets the wind flow against his face. The breeze tickles my nose, blowing my hair slightly.

"Yeah it is quite relaxing now that we are away from the chaos," I comment, listening to the sounds of ambience of nightfall. If it hadn't just been the beginning, I would be extremely cautious of the peacefulness, knowing something is up. But my mind can tell that the Capitol has seen enough bloodshed for today, and that unless we encounter another tribute right away, we are safe.

My eyes open wide, my hand reaching for the katana on my back. Why did I think so soon? The snap of a twig, it had to be made by movement. Twigs don't just snap at will. What could it be? Another tribute? Some fucking tiger creature? My eyes avert the attention to Dayta, who has his hands tightly gripped on the hilt of his golden baseball bat. I slowly pull the katana out of its sheath, hearing the slight noise of metal scraping against metal. It ends suddenly, like a knife cutting the sound off. I ready it in front of me, slowly stepping towards the area I heard the twig snap. Dayta follows slowly in pursuit, bat readied to the side of his head.

I make sure to act fast, jumping behind the bush to where the sound would have come from. I see a figure, and do not think twice before slicing its head clean off. I hear the sickening _swish _of the blade piercing flesh, and the _thud _of the head hitting the ground. Blood spurts out like a water fountain, for a brief second at least, before the figure falls to the floor. My mind is disoriented for a second, confused from the lighting, the shape of the figure, and the absence of a cannon. A moment later, my eyes adjust and I realize I didn't just kill a tribute.

"You just killed a stag!?" Dayta says in a hushed whisper. I look at him and then back at the stag, not knowing what to say.

"Dinner?"

What a dinner it makes. We haul the dead carcass of the stag over to our little spot, deciding to leave the head to rot. Since I am less squeamish than Dayta, I skin the buck while Dayta lights a fire. I can't say I know how to light a fire very effectively, but Dayta sure does. He does it in a matter of thirty seconds, using only sticks and a few leaves.

"The leaves will make a lot of smoke," he says, pausing to blow onto the embers, causing more of the faggot of sticks to kindle.

"But it shouldn't be seen at night," he continues on. I rip off the last patch of skin, throwing it behind the bush where the head remains.

"There isn't anything stopping people seeing the fire though," I say with a raised eyebrow. He nods his head.

"Eh, we should be fine," he judges. I gut the deer of all of its inner organs, once again dumping them back where the skin and the head was. Dayta glances at me critically before looking back down at the fire.

"What?" I ask.

"Well, you may want to rid the. . . scraps. It could attract unwanted predators," he says with a frown. I look back at the bush it all rests behind, face falling into a cringed painful expression at the aspect of doing this.

"Fuck really? I have to touch all of that shit again?" I complain. Dayta looks like he is thinking for a second.

"Hold on," he instructs me, walking around the bush and disappearing behind it. All is silent for a moment, until I hear a faint tinkling sound. Running water? A faucet? Dayta returns with a disgusted look on his face.

"Well?" I ask.

"I pissed on it, urine can be used in territorial matters, so it should keep away some animals like wolves," he says rather sheepishly. My face falls in disgust, as I pretend to gag at the thought of Dayta pissing on animal leftovers.

"Just, begin cooking it," he mutters, looking quite embarrassed.

"I would hope nobody saw your cock," I joke as I prop the skinned stag over the fire. It takes a while to cook it by fire, but once it is finished, it's a very unique meat texture I've personally never had. It's chewy yet still tender, the meat being rather stringy than usual. It's actually quite fatty, with the grease dripping down my face with every bite. I eat mine slowly, while Dayta scoffs his down, already going for seconds.

"Woah easy tiger, we need to share it," I say as he sinks his teeth into his next batch.

"Liesel, I don't know if you have noticed, but we have a whole stag to eat. This could feed four people if we wanted and we would still have leftovers," he says with a snort.

"Hmm, well you may be right, but if we need to suddenly run, you're going to get some very uncomfortable cramps," I say with a smirk. He takes a moment to chew his mouthful, before speaking once again.

"Let me worry about that if the time comes," he says, preparing for another bite.

"You don't want to get too fat, that won't impress Hera," I say struggling to contain my laughter. Dayta looks at me in alarm, mainly because of the fact that I have just leaked his secret obsession to the entirety of Panem.

"W-what are you talking about?" he asks, stuttering slightly.

"I'm talking about your love for Hera," I say, digging his coffin even further. I can just hear the screams of delight and excitement from the Capitol. Dayta splutters a couple of words, before shutting his mouth and shaking his head.

"Aww, Dayta has a crush," I say with a chuckle, watching how red Dayta grows from what I have revealed.

"Please stop," Dayta says in some sort of choked voice. He should know that's not happening.

"Since you are not here Midas, I will be the replacement," I say to nobody in particular, hoping a camera may just pick it up.

"Dayta, how long have you felt this way?" I ask, pretending to speak into an invisible microphone and then holding it up to his face. He stares at me as if he was wishing death upon me, before sighing and looking away.

"A while," he mutters.

"How long exactly?" I ask.

"The moment I laid my eyes upon her," he says bitterly. Holy shit this is working.

"May I ask, Dayta, why are you not denying any of this?" I ask in my Midas interviewer voice. He looks at me sadly.

"Because I can't hold it in anymore. I'm obsessed. I stand no chance, because I am in an arena where only one of us would be able to make it out, I'm a scrawny kid from District 3, and District 6 hate District 3 to add salt to the wound, and to top it all off, I bet she doesn't even know my name," he says dejectedly. I am left rather shocked at what he has admitted. I did not at all expect to get that out of him, nor did I know he liked her to that extent. I drop my hand that I had been holding the pretend microphone in and sit in silence.

It's an awkward silence, a silence that none of us break for several minutes. I don't know if I want to break it, I don't know if he is ready for it to be broken, so I wait for him to be the one to break it. And he finally does.

"I needed to get that out Liesel, it's been eating away at my insides for a while now," he says with a sigh. I am not at all used to this Dayta. This is not the banter filled Dayta, or the sophisticated and intelligent Dayta, this is a vulnerable Dayta, who for the first time since I met him revealed his weakness. Hera. Do I want to use this against him? Not necessarily. In fact, it has revealed thoughts that I didn't ever want to have for someone again. Caring thoughts, for Dayta. I don't want to kill Dayta, I don't want to watch him die either, but I don't want to grow attached to him. I have been thinking about this for a couple of hours now, and I think it is the time.

"Dayta, I'm confident you knew this was coming, but, we need to separate now," I say softly. He looks blankly at the fire, nodding in agreement.

"I think that is probably the best option," he says, looking towards me with big brown eyes.

"You know, we are most definitely never going to see each other again," I say.

"I know, but you're right, we need to go our separate paths, no use in sticking together now that we are finally in this arena. I'm going to admit Liesel, I don't think I could kill you," he says with a sigh.

"The same goes for me," I reply quietly. We both pack up our site, destroying the fire and taking our supplies. I make sure my katana is clean and in its sheath, while Dayta grabs his golden bat off the ground.

"I know this seems sudden, but we both knew it was coming," I say. He nods as he stamps out the last embers of the dying flames.

"Good luck Liesel, and may the odds be ever in your favor," he says softly.

"As with you," I reply. We both turn, we turn and walk, to completely opposite directions, and we never turn back. I sigh as I travel with light steps, creating as little sound as possible. I can only hope we never have to run into each other again, but some small part of me, some untouched and caring part aches, because I just parted with the brother I never had.

* * *

**Cassia Summers, 12, D10:**

I almost just died. It's a funny thought in all honesty, just thinking to yourself that you almost died. Despite the fact being true, I struggle to react to it. I try to feel something, any emotion at all, fear, relief, shock, but all I feel is a cold emptiness inside. I should be dead right now, and I am not, all thanks to Naomi. I had told her, we were all going to die. I know, that we are all going to die. My time was then, and she interfered. She should have run, she should have handed me over, all of them should have, but no she did not.

She chose to give in to her inevitable death perhaps much too early than she should. That had been my fate to die like that. Now she has changed the course. What am I meant to feel? Consumed by guilt? By remorse? I don't. At all. Like I said, she shouldn't have done that, and now I take her place in this world, and I do not feel an ounce of pity for her actions, not even the slightest bit thankful.

It appears I am the only one that does not display these emotions. I am accompanied by the other two, Whent, and the big one, Ladonna. I'm not even going to lie, I don't like Ladonna. I've never liked her, and I do not express any emotion for her either. No pity, no sympathy, just nothing. Watching her heave out sobs, punch trees and slam her hammer into random objects in complete and utter rage does not stir anything inside of me. I am cold, I am dark, I am distant.

What has happened to me? I wasn't always like this. I used to care for Naomi and Whent. I used to admire Naomi's leadership, and laugh at Whent's jokes. No longer. Whent rests against a tree, eyes glassy with tears. Ladonna stands panting, still accompanied by sobs at random intervals. I do none of this, I just stare. We are now a dysfunctional alliance, no longer held together by Naomi. It's as if we are lost, no longer willing to care, at least that is what I feel.

Suddenly, the Capitol anthem can be heard playing throughout the arena. I look up through the clearing in the trees, seeing a bright blue Capitol Seal plastered in the sky. The death recap. I remember that they were mentioned to become a thing. The first person we see is Ancora Siegle, looking down at us with evident anger. It's almost as if she is looking at us like that because we survived, and she didn't. Her red hair fades and it shows the next person.

Naomi. Her dark brown hair is long with her ruby red lips turned up in a cheerful smile. That is no longer the case anymore, she is instead dead, eyes lifeless, blood potentially coughed up and running from her mouth. Ladonna begins to sob again as she stares up at Naomi's face, while Whent continues to stare with glassy eyes, lower lip now trembling, potentially on the verge of crying. There was one last death after Naomi, it couldn't be Whent because he is here with us now, and it likely isn't Quinn because he ran away at the very start. So that leaves. . .

"Dana?" Whent chokes out, voice shaking in despair. Dana's face has now appeared where Naomi's was. Her face is similar to Ancora's, face pulled back in a scowl, her chapped lips frowning at the camera. Her eyes stare hatefully at us, and I stare back at her blankly.

"No. . . no, please, no, not both of them," Whent sobs, holding his hands to the side of his head and kneeling down in sorrow.

"They're gone. They're dead. We must move on," I say almost robotically. Whent looks up at me in confusion, while Ladonna continues to sob. Perhaps he picked up on how emotionless my tone of voice is?

"Cassie, we need to protect you, that was Naomi's last wish," he says with a sniff, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"There is no point in protecting me Whent Lush, we are all going to die," I say. Whent looks at me with confusion, face going pale.

"Why do you keep calling me by my full name?" he asks in confusion. I stare at him, not answering his question, which causes him to look away uncomfortably. I lightly sit down against a tree, my legs spread out in front of me. Whent sighs and looks at Ladonna.

"Ladonna, I know you are distressed, so am I, but we need you to build us some shelter," Whent informs her. Ladonna looks up at him, tear soaked cheeks pink in the moonlight. She nods glumly and stands up, lumbering around for materials. Whent steps over to the packs, opening the first one and looking inside. His expression appears critical as he grabs the contents of the pack.

"Just a sleeping bag?" he mumbles obviously rather perplexed.

"Cassie," he says looking over at me, "are you cold?" I once again do not respond, feeling rather distant from the current events of the alliance. He shakes his head and walks over to me, unwrapping the sleeping bag from its sack and lifting up my legs slightly so he can fit my legs inside. He pushes the sleeping bag up until my bum, where he props me up slightly by lifting me from under the arm pits, and then pulls the sleeping bag up until it reaches my chest. It doesn't feel any different to me. I am not warm nor cold. All I feel is nothing. Nothing with a metaphorical cold, one that I cannot feel, one that I have been feeling since the Hunt Trial.

"Uh oh," Whent mutters as he stands up from looking in the first bag.

"What's wrong?" asks Ladonna, who looks up from her tent from that she has made from sticks.

"There isn't any food in here," he says with a frown, looking at the other two bags.

"Or in those ones either."

"Is there water at least?" Ladonna asks. He nods, picking up two bottles of water.

"Food doesn't matter when you are going to die anyway," I say, staring intently at Whent. Whent twists his mouth in uncertainty as he glances up at me.

"Well Cassie, I don't want to rush that, so we will need food in the meantime," he says with a sigh.

"Keep up with the shelter Ladonna, and if you can build a fire afterwards, I'm going hunting," he says lifting up his purple sword. Ladonna looks up at Whent in a panic.

"You're hunting? F-for more tributes?" Ladonna asks in disbelief.

"Wha- no not for tributes, for food," he says in exasperation. Ladonna looks at him foolishly, before looking away in embarrassment. Whent sighs and shakes his head, muttering to himself something about how this alliance is on edge as he walks off into the woods. He isn't wrong. This alliance is already collapsing, without Naomi to glue it together, it's falling apart.

It's quite dark now since there is no campfire, the only visible things illuminated by the intense blue moonlight from above, giving everything a blue tinge. I watch Ladonna working away at her shelter, sobbing still audible from her position. I roll my eyes. Pathetic, she needs to get over it. She is the oldest and the biggest here, yet she allows emotions to affect her too drastically. Ladonna is too preoccupied at the moment, that she doesn't notice me begin to move. I do not want to be confined to this sleeping bag. I need to move around.

I stiffly pull the sleeping bag off of my legs. It sticks a bit, indicating that I may have started to sweat, yet I do not feel the heat. I drop the sleeping bag at my feet, standing up directly after. I crack both sides of my neck as I look around with wide cold eyes. The arena is alive. I can hear the chirping of crickets and the singing of birds, despite the hour. So much activity for night time, perhaps it is due to the predators coming out for their prey.

I robotically turn and walk with straight arms, which remain still by my side. I can imagine the glare of the moons reflection against my eyes. The moon doesn't look natural, however neither did the sun. The sun had been pink, while the moon is blue, or more like white with a blue tinge. It is immensely bright, actually emitting more light than the normal moon would have. It makes me wonder if it is the actual moon. It likely is, just obscured by the force field that traps us in this arena.

I find myself in a clearing, lit up only by the blue moon. I can see the moon properly now, it looks larger than normal, or perhaps closer. The sky around it is a deep midnight blue, accompanied by countless white specks that we all know to be the stars. I breathe out deeply, noticing that my breath is no longer white, instead however it is blue.

If I was to be feeling like myself right now, I would find this magical, I would be able to appreciate the beauty that this clearing has to offer. However, my appreciation for such beauty has been altered, altered to the point that I can no longer recognize the good and the miraculous of this world. I see color, only to see black and white, I see beauty, only to see the ugly, I see life, only to see the death that will consume it.

I try to shut this out of my mind, I close my eyes tightly, wishing that it will all go back to the way it was, that I can return to being the shy but cheerful Cassia Summers. I open my eyes, my pupils dilating and a shiver running down my back. I feel. I can feel. It is not what I want to feel however, it is cold that I feel. The shiver that runs down my back, the goosebumps that rise on my arms, the chill of the air in this currently freezing arena. It's coldness that I feel, that I see. I notice more than ever the breath that leaves my mouth, the cool breeze that the clearing has to offer, not the beating of my warm heart. I don't want to notice my heart, because if I do, it may become cold as well.

Is this a sign for where I am headed? Lack of emotion, hostility, shutting out? I can only guess, but for now I can tell one thing. That I feel again, and it is dark. I gasp as I snap back to reality, blinking for what feels like the first time in several minutes. It stings my eyes, to finally have my eyes cut off from the cold air. I shiver as I realize how cold it is. The cold, I can feel it now. What is this controlling me? Is it my mind? The darkest of my thoughts, emerging at the clear aspect and possibility of my death? I cry out, gripping my head in pain. It isn't letting me go back, it's leading me in another direction, it's. . . controlling me.

The darkness in the back of my mind, it's enlightened me into a new way of thinking. It's trying to communicate with me. It must be, why else would I become like this. It knows I'm in peril of Fletcher Wilds. It's ensuring that I take the right steps, to end up in the safer position. What has it been doing this whole time? It's made me dark, emotionless, it knows that I was attached to Naomi and Whent. It's speaking through me now, the reason I am no longer referring to them by their real names, it's trying to distance me away from caring about them. To this entity of my mind, the key to surviving Fletcher Wilds, is to distance myself away from others. To eliminate the guilt that would ensue from letting them die for me.

I understand now. I understand it all. It awakened when Fletcher first developed his vendetta against me, and it has been constantly trying to defend me ever since. I haven't fought it, I haven't tried to stay loyal to my allies, my companions, my friends, but I have allowed this common sense to take over my mind, my thoughts, my feelings. The worst part is, I don't want to stop it. It's already gone too far, and I want it to continue. I want it to succeed in keeping me alive, and if its first step is to eliminate Whent and Ladonna from my old and fragile self, so be it.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Damn, Cassie just got daaaaark in that last bit. I think she may be losing it a little bit. So what did you guys think? I would love to hear your feedback of course, especially since it is the games. I do realize that we haven't heard from some people since we entered the arena, don't worry, we will be seeing those people next chapter. There was no death this chapter, it was kind of a cool off chapter from the Bloodbath. So that means no Eulogies. **

**I did find it funny that as soon as I got to the Bloodbath, reviews went up again, that was the most I have gotten in a while, so please keep it up guys! I would love to hear your predictions as well, who will die next? Who will kill next? Any specific events that will happen? Or any general predictions? I would love to know!**

**There was a slight gap between the last update and this one, but that is because guys, I have started school once again which I am internally crying about right now. But that doesn't mean I'll stop, I'll still try to get an update out at least once a week! Like usual, check my profile for the name of the next chapter, and see you next time!**

**-Ares**


	35. A Lone Wolf and Their Wolf

**Rhode Nerida, 18, D4:**

My eyes flicker open, blinking away the pain that the light causes my eyes. It must be mid-morning, and the arena is rather quiet. I groan as I sit up, rubbing my groggy eyes to have a better perspective of my surroundings. The area seems rather undisturbed, no tracks have been made nor has anyone stumbled upon my sleeping self.

I look up at the clearing in the trees, seeing the purple sky as it was yesterday. This was the clearing that I watched the death recaps through last night, and that is how I found out that my ally, Dana, has now perished, leaving me alone in the arena to fend for myself. Am I upset? Not overly, we had a standard agreement, and a standard relationship. We both knew what was to be done, and we were both mentally prepared for the arena.

The main reason I had selected Dana to be my ally however, was because of how much she reminded me of myself. Aside from combat, she was like me in almost every other way, and when two minds think alike, good things can occur. She is dead now though, I'm not completely sure who killed her, but that person is likely still out there.

Dana's death has actually granted me the ability to do something however, and that is taking the first step in my plan of escaping this arena. I can win this, I know I can, and I don't have to kill a single person, which I would much rather. It's a lot easier living knowing you weren't physically responsible for the death of another. I'm not much of a fan of fighting, so I will not be doing the fighting. The metaphorical blood may be on me, but that isn't what I care about. People die all the time, just not by the literal hands of myself.

I rise from the bush I had hidden myself in last night, one that had a hollow area to sleep in. I had a nice sleeping bag that I managed to scrape from the cornucopia, black and easy to camouflage. I roll it up and stuff it back into the bag that it came in, noticing how easy it is to do.

The sleeping bag was most definitely the best thing I got. I didn't go too far into the cornucopia, so I didn't get a weapon, not that I would be using it anyways. I had managed to grab a small pack as well, filled with a bottle of water, a box of water crackers, a wire, and various other items. The sleeping bag is small enough to squash into my back pack, so I shove it inside so I don't have to carry it.

I breathe deeply through my nose, taking in the peacefulness of the arena. I shiver a little as my face feels the tickle of a breeze, reminding me of how damn cold this arena is. I rub my arms for warmth, shivering as I look around my clearing. I wish there was some coat I could have picked up at the beginning, or maybe even a blanket. The closest thing I have for warmth is the sleeping bag, but that isn't exactly ideal for moving around. There is only one thing I can do to warm up. Move. I need to move around, maybe hunt for some food, just as long as I am being productive.

I can initiate the first step of my plan at any point, I just want to make sure I am safe first, and that I am well fed. I scout the area, scanning for tributes around the countless trees that I am surrounded by. I made my way to the forest island at the beginning, perhaps not the best choice as many other tributes did. However, when my plan has begun, my choice won't matter anymore. My thoughts were that I would perhaps be shielded from the cold wind by the trees, which seems to have worked alright so far, however the cold still manages to creep up on me.

District 4 does not at all prepare you for the cold, I would argue that I have never in fact had a cold day in my entire life. Hot and humid, I always kind of resented the heat, until now. I wish I could be back in District 4, lying on the warm sandy beaches, likely getting burnt instead of tanned, but still not freezing my ass off in a forest. This part of the arena, is ideal for the tributes from District 7. They have a whole alliance to worry about though, so god knows if they will make their way over here.

I place my hand on my stomach as I feel the uncomfortable gurgle of hunger begin to stew in my gut. I hate being hungry. I rarely ever am, because even if you weren't that wealthy in District 4, anyone and everyone knew how to fish. To us citizens of District 4, fishing was like tying a shoelace. So before I could ever go hungry, I could always fish up a solid meal. That was when I was younger of course, in recent years I have taken up bigger challenges such as sharks.

Unfortunately, we are not at the ocean, and all I have at an immediate reach, is a box of crackers. I open the box, taking out three of them and nibbling on them one by one. I spend a lot longer eating them than how long I usually would take, mainly because I am attempting to use the placebo effect. I don't know if it will work on me, but I am hoping that I can trick my stomach into thinking I am eating more than I really am from how long I spend on nibbling each cracker.

Oh if only I could see myself doing this on the TV back at home, watching how pathetic and miserable I must look now, struggling to maintain heat, nibbling on crackers as my only source of food.

_You're going great Rhode, keep it up, at this rate you'll win for sure._

The tone that I think it in is riddled with heavy sarcasm, but I shake away my un-motivational thoughts. I keep forgetting that I have my plan, I just have to hope that the Gamemakers comply. They should, they promised that they would. They said _anything, _so I expect that to be the final agreement.

I need to focus, food is kind of a priority at the moment. I can live for up to three weeks without food, but still, it's the fuel that will keep me going. A couple of crackers isn't exactly going to suffice. Before I know it, I'll be feeling the effects of hunger, and that will be a major distraction.

I rack my brains for information on the plants that I am able to consume with knowledge from the practice stations at training. Well, for starters, I haven't really seen any berries to begin with, and the ones I may see have a potential for being poisonous. I really regret not getting a weapon now, even a knife would do, I could have used it to kill food. I really should have thought of that in advance, but I wasn't hungry then, I am only thinking about it now because I am thinking of all the ways I could stifle my hunger.

Wait. I remember at the beginning, seeing that particular island that looked rich with fruits. I was far away from that one, but regardless it looked promising. The forest island is directly next to that island, so I could make my way there. I don't think I am all that far away from the edge of the island, so why the hell not?

I travel left, knowing that it is the direction the fruit island is located. I make sure to keep a watchful eye out for potential tributes, because while my plan is not currently in action, I wouldn't fare well against someone with a weapon, someone like Fletcher or Haim could absolutely destroy me. The one person I know I could run into and not have kill me, is Danix. He made it out of the beginning, God knows how he did it, but he did it all the same. I cannot say the same for his ally Laelia. I don't know if they made it out together, but if they did, Laelia will certainly be the one more willing to kill.

I make the effort to go over what has happened so far. The deaths, Dana of course has impacted me in a way. It likely could have impacted her District partner as well, I saw that they were fairly close at stages throughout the Capitol visit. Not only has he lost Dana as well, but he has lost the girl from District 11, the one he is allied with. Their whole alliance must be in disarray right now, having just lost a major factor of it. Her death doesn't surprise me though, I always marked her as an easy kill. It seems as that has become a reality.

Last of all, Ancora. Besides the trauma it could have presented to the other tributes, her death likely hasn't made quite the impact to most, if not all. She wasn't close to anyone, she wasn't in an alliance with anyone, she was just another human being, which some would have considered as they watched her blow into smithereens. All her death did, was cause everyone to realize how real the situation was.

It does sound a bit morbid, but I really wish more had died. I suppose it makes sense that more didn't, as this is the first time this sort of thing has existed since the Ancient Old World, most would not be prepared for butchering fellow tributes. If the Hunger Games do continue in to further years, then morals and regard for other tributes will go out the window much sooner and much quicker in the games, where half the competition will probably die at the start.

As for now, the majority of us live. 21 of us remain, all ready to play the game, and going back to my wish that more had perished, it would have been a lot easier for me if less were still alive. The more people dead, the less I have to go through. How pleasant am I?

I don't hear the crunch of fallen leaves anymore, as I have reached the side of the island. The thick fog that borders it has returned, and all I can see through the fog, are the posts that hold together the rickety bridge that leads across. I don't know what's in the fog, perhaps a long fall into crashing water below? Or maybe quicksand fills the gap? Either way, they are both going to result in my death. So I step onto the rickety bridge, only being able to see a few feet in front of me so that I can walk.

My body tenses as I slowly make my way over the bridge. It seems that they have bridges connecting the islands together as well as to the middle island. As much as I doubt that these bridges are trapped, I cannot help but feel like it may. I do not know what the Gamemakers are planning, they could kill anyone of us at any moment just because they want to. However, as I manage to make it across the bridge undisturbed, it becomes apparent that I am not someone that the Capitol wants to kill as of now.

My breath becomes caught in my throat as I stare at what exists of the fruit island. The name I have dubbed it definitely suits it, as the trees are decorated with candy red and emerald green apples. Random bushes are decked out in cherries and strawberries, which I gander at with a rumbling stomach. The island smells sweet, incredibly sweet, I don't know why this wasn't a hotspot choice. I rip an apple off of the tree, while staring absolutely mesmerized at all the colorful fruit. The apple is hard, and I can already tell it will be crunchy and juicy. I raise the apple to my lips, and am about to take a bite, when something catches my eye. Movement out of the corner of my eye turns my attention, to discover it is a little brown creature darting across the branches.

A squirrel is what I see. Two of them in fact. They appear to race each other towards a large batch of the apples in a certain part of the tree that stands tall above me. They each grab an apple, the larger one grabbing a red one, while the smaller squirrel grabs a green one. I watch the larger squirrel nibble into the red apple, appearing to enjoy it, while the smaller squirrel timidly bites into the green one. I gasp after a couple of seconds pass, as the small squirrel begins shaking. The shaking turns into convulsing, until the squirrel drops dead, falling off the branch and landing with a thud on the soft green grass.

I stare at the dead squirrel for a moment, mouth agape in shock, before looking down at my own apple. It is green. I throw the apple as far away as I can, breathing heavily at the prospect of my close death. The green apple, it must be poisoned. There must be so much poisonous fruit on this island, I don't know what is and what isn't. Suddenly, I don't feel too comfortable about being on this island anymore.

I grab about 4 red apples, making sure to stuff them into my already filled back pack, before turning around and bolting away from the island. I don't bother to cross the bridge slow, I want to get back to the safety of an island not riddled with poisoned fruit. I make it across easily enough, taking a moment to lean against a tree to catch my breath. That's it, that does it, I am beginning the first step in my plan. I need to feel safe, I need something to protect me, and so that is what I will get.

"Capitol, I believe it is time to ask for my prize for winning the Hunt Trial. I want a companion, now that my ally is dead, I want protection, and I want to win. So for my prize, I want a loyal, alpha wolf. I want a wolf, that can hunt me my food, and a wolf that can kill for me. With the wolf, I will create my own wolf pack, with the wolf, I will win." I say this clearly enough for the Capitol to hear me. It takes a moment for anything to happen, but after a minute or two, I hear the sound of footsteps behind me.

I turn, and see a large beast, slowly prowling towards me. The wolf is a light shade of grey, and is easily the biggest wolf I have ever seen. His eyes are an illuminated and burning color of yellow, and his fur is plentiful, with his ears perked up as he slowly makes his way over to me. I smile sinisterly as he reaches me, licking my hand and nuzzling it to show affection. I caress his soft fur as he stares intently into my eyes. My eyes widen as I feel him speak to me, I feel his words reach out to me in my own mind. It's like I'm thinking the words, except I am not. He is communicating with me

_What is my name?_

The wolf asks me this as he sits down on the floor, front legs standing strong and tall. I grin as I think of the wolf's name, before replying to him and finalizing our newly formed bond.

"Sabre."

* * *

**Quinn Holland, 16, D11:**

I relentlessly pant while I once again rub my eyes from the lack of slumber. How long has it been? 15 hours? 20? I cannot tell, as my brain is fried from not having a wink of sleep. Perhaps I should have stopped, set up camp, slept a little at least. I should know best out of most here, the worst day to work in the meadows in District 11, were the days you had not slept at all. Yet here I am, having not stopped walking since mid-day yesterday, having barley eaten anything since I've started walking, and literally stumbling around half asleep. My legs ache with immense pain, mostly due to all the walking they have endured, but perhaps also because of what happened to them in the Hunt Trial.

My lungs feel like they are trying to collapse just to stop, while my heart beats at a phenomenal rate. It even feels like my throat has closed up a little, not at all helping me with trying to breathe. Maybe I should just let someone else finish me off? It would certainly put me out of my misery.

Except. . . I am very far away from any tribute at all during this moment of time. The fact that I was the first to get away from the Cornucopia, already put me in a giant lead. I am already set, with a weapon, a back pack, and enough food and water to last me for a week or two. There is also the fact that I have not stopped for even a second, meaning I have made so much distance between myself and the closest tribute. In all honesty, I think I have almost made it to the edge of this island. What will I find? Another island? Ocean? I guess I'll have to find out.

As I heavily pant with careless footsteps, my mind once again shifts to Naomi. I told her what she needed to do. I told her to get out of there, but somehow she still managed to die. I didn't think I would feel any ounce of sorrow for her impending death, but after last night, how can I not? She was so innocent, she wasn't meant for this arena at all. She was so full of life, her personality was so colorful, and now she lies cold blooded and lifeless back in the Capitol.

The memories of Naomi causes my breaths to become more ragged, it almost feels like I am breathing out all my emotions into these harsh pain filled breaths. She had been directly next to me at the start, I should have at least said goodbye. If I had, I might not even be here right now. I might be the same as her, dead on the floor with my blood spilled around me. All I can hope, is that it wasn't too painful, and that it was quick.

I shake my head in anger, gritting my teeth in annoyance. I need to be stronger. This is why I didn't allow myself to become close to anyone, this is why I rarely spoke to Naomi until last night, I was so close, and I blew it. I didn't even feel this bad after the death of my parents! What is that meant to say?

I stumble the last couple of steps, before collapsing forward, landing face first on the floor with a thud. I don't immediately get up, but I instead just groan, feeling the pain hit my face. The relief however, of having stopped moving, is far more powerful than the pain of the fall. I feel blissful, and care free in this moment of rest, and that is how I notice the worst thing possible. My eyelids are heavy. They are slowly closing, heavily impacting my field of view. The side that my head faces becomes blurred, yet I struggle to wake up properly despite this threat to my safety.

Even with the possibility of death, in the completely vulnerable position I am in, my body does not respond to these threats. It fights against my thoughts, and I slowly succumb to my heavy eyes, and the softness of the grassy ground. The chirping of birds soothes the mood, making me all the more tiresome.

"I. . . Can't. I can't allow myself. . . To sleep just yet," I mumble. I tell myself this, but my conscience tells me that I am hours away from the other tributes. I am supposedly fine, and it is not just an excuse to put me to sleep.

I could at least get to cover, and not just do this in the open. My body doesn't believe me, instead it slows my breathing and closes my eyes. Fine, fine, perhaps. . . Maybe a quick nap.

Bad idea.

. . .

My dreams are riddled with badness, with grief and misery, with so much darkness I have shut out from my life. I start off in a wooden house, bare and bland, yet strangely familiar. The windows are shielded by tattered and shredded drapes, an off blue in color. Aside from the drapes, there is no color in the room, except for the mud brown of the oak planks and floorboards.

I stand in the middle, turning around to look at the bare sodden wall, damp from mould and deterioration, with a brick fireplace embedded into the wood. The bricks are a faded red, while the inside of the fireplace is black and ashy, smoke rising from the charred logs that remain.

I look back ahead, my eyes once again resting on the two windows. I can see from what the drapes don't cover, that it is sunny outside, the rays of light picking up the specks of dust that float through the beams of sun. Overall, it lights up most of the room, and I can see that it is small. It's more like a cabin, rather than a house.

I take creaky steps towards the window on the right, cautiously gripping the hem of the drape and slowly sliding it to reveal the outside. I have to squint as my eyes are beamed with intense sunlight. I cry out as I shield them, rubbing them to adjust. Through the dirty window, I see color. Intense color, in fact fields of color. The meadows. I know these meadows all too well. I am in District 11. How else would I know these tight cramped houses? I've lived in one for my entire life.

I allow the drapes to fall back into place, stepping over to the door and gripping the grimy door knob. I slowly open it, pulling the splintered wooden door towards me. My eyes widen when I see the outside. It's drastically different to what I had just seen seconds before hand, and to be quite frank, a lot more terrifying.

My hair whips my face in the powerful wind, a wind that rocks the trees with force. The sky is grey and dark, the clouds having completely blocked out the sun. The meadows are no longer colorful, in fact, most of the meadow has been torn up from the ground by the thrashing winds. Thunder rumbles around me while lightning cracks in the distance, constantly coming closer to me.

My eyes dart around, taking in the sight in front of me. What has happened? What is going on? I rack my memory, and that's when I remember. I remember this dreadful day. The hurricane, that tore District 11 up. It swept over the District, killing many people. That wasn't the worst thing that had happened to me that day however, something even worse had happened.

I cry out in surprise as cracks rupture the earth, randomly sprouting in different patterns all throughout the District. I don't remember this part of the hurricane. The cracks slowly creep towards me, the trail left behind beginning to glow with an inferno of magma. I slowly back away, trying to think of what to do. Fuck, what do I do?!

I feel my back bump into the door of the cabin, causing me to turn around in desperation. I attempt to open the door, but it is now locked. I curse to myself profusely, as I thump on the wooden door with panic. What am I hoping to do? Get someone to open it? Perhaps break it down? I know neither will happen, so I turn around to watch my fate, or more so face it with eyes shut tightly.

I wait for myself to be consumed by fire, or even fall through the earth, but nothing happens. I open my eyes to see that the crack has come to a rest a couple of feet in front of me. For a second I think I am safe, and that it is all over. How wrong I am. I jolt as I hear a sound of destruction, which turns out to be the house behind me being torn up from the ground, with the wood being sent into a frenzy in the chaotic winds above. I get hit by random debris of the house, likely bruising the places they hit.

A chill runs down my spine as the crack begins to move again, yet I am too distracted, too frightened, to dumbfounded of what to do. It separates two ways, traveling in a circular motion around me. Once it meets making a full circle, everything stops. Well, except for the wind. For a second, nothing happens, and for only a second.

I shout in surprise as the ground below me erupts. I am propelled towards the sky, surrounded by intense thunder, and heavy wind. The lightning strikes the area even closer to me now, deafening me as I am glued to the pillar of earth. I have to close my eyes as I rocket towards the sky, mainly because of a combination of the wind stinging my eyes, and the blinding inferno that whirlwinds through the clouds.

Surely this is my death, I cannot see any way out of this. This reality has every intention of killing me. But it still doesn't happen. There is a moment that I am momentarily floating in place, as the pillar comes to a sudden stop and begins to drop at an even quicker rate, or should I say crumble to the ground? I expect to fall, but I stay floating, no longer on my back but instead propped up vertically.

I am literally floating in place, my legs touching nothing but the sky itself. I am surrounded by the trail blaze of fire, that circles me in a spiral. Some type of fire storm? It completely blocks any view of the grey clouds, and now I theorize that I have landed in hell. It has to be hell. What else could this be?

My mouth drops open in horror, completely and utterly terrified by what I see. No. It can't be. Is it? I look at the inferno in front of me, examining what has protruded from the scorching licks of fire. The faces of two figures, not entirely distinguishable at first, until I get a closer look. The faces stare at me with hot embers for eyes. The stare in a transfixed state, allowing me to properly observe them without their features constantly being distorted by movement. Mom? Dad?

When I think their names, the figures emerge back into the fire, causing an eruption of flames from the place they had just previously been. I squint, blocking the light with my raised arm, but I don't have to for long. The fire fades, almost instantly as well. The grey sky returns, but this time, the atmosphere is silent. The wind no longer blows, while the thunder and lightning has ceased.

This time, chunks of earth float up peacefully, lightly causing my feet to place down on the small rock island. I breathe heavily, still calming down after the chaos that had just taken place. Even smaller rock formations with little tufts of grass make a path like stepping stones. They lead to another larger island, evident remnants of the meadow still present. I cannot see what is on the island clearly, but I am not exactly focusing on that much anymore. I am now focusing more on what has just appeared right in front of me.

My heart stops as two figures appear floating in front of me. One smaller than the other, they float looking sad and lifeless.

_"Quinn," _I hear a whisper as quiet as the breeze, it sounds like a woman, and it sounds familiar. My eyes begin to water at the sound of the voice. It is so distant, yet so beautiful. The sound of it brings heavy nostalgia and buried memories that I have shut away for years. The voice that always sung to me, that could put the birds to rest, that could make anybody swim in a pool of emotion. My mother.

"Mom?" I ask, my voice shaky.

_"Help us Quinn," _a deeper voice pleads, in a similar distant whisper.

"Dad?" I say with even more surprise.

_"We are over here Quinn," _my mother sings to me. It's not a happy tune, one that she would often sing to us in, but rather a sad one. A tune full of sorrow and pain. After my mother says this, the two of them float around so their backs are facing me, before slowly travelling forward, across the stepping stones. I don't know why, but I am completely mesmerized, with a feeling of entitlement to follow them. I jog after them, wiping the tears away from my eyes and hopping from one island to the next.

I reach the end island, the one with broken patches of meadows remaining. A large lake rests in the middle, and it gives me a strange sense of unease. Why?

I come to a rest as they float at the edge of the lake, lowering themselves until they are standing on a level ground to me. I look up at them, my face falling into a frown when I witness the looks of terror instilled on their faces.

"Wha-?" I stutter with confusion.

_"Save us Quinn," _my mother sings, the same tone of sadness evident, now accompanied by desperation.

"Save you from what?" I ask.

_"QUINN SAVE US!" _I flinch at these words that are no longer being sung to me, but instead are being screamed at me. My mother screeches her plea with heavy desperation, and she continues to beg numerous times, each one echoing in a demonic like tone. Oh no. I remember this event. I shut it out for years, but it has come to haunt me now. The words my mother speaks now, is her word for word plea for me to help her and my dad. She did this while I silently watched their execution, with the other thief's that had their family members in the same position. My father had been silent, while my mother had screamed for mercy, both had been kneeling on the bank of the river, hands tied behind their backs.

My mind goes foggy, and my body begins to move, all this being completely against my will. What is going on? Stop it. . . Stop it. . . STOP! My mother stops screaming as I stand directly in front of her, as she had moments before her execution when the soldier had stepped in front of her. Distant sobs that sound like they are from another dimension, pierce my ears painfully.

I gasp as some force raises my arm, allowing me to see a pistol gripped tightly in my grasp. As I begin to aim it at my mother's head, I begin to cry. I begin to cry, and I begin to beg, just like she had.

"No, no, no, no, no why? Why am I doing this? Why me?" I sob through gritted teeth as the force controlling me causes my arm to push the gun barrel hard against my mother's forehead. The answer, is not what I expect.

_"Because Quinn, you are the reason that we were killed." _My eyes widen in horror, before the force causes me to pull the trigger. I never see her brains blow out of the back of her head, nor do I see the way her limp body lifelessly falls back into the lake like I had that fateful day. All I see is blackness, and all I hear is the echo of the gun shot.

. . .

I gasp as I awaken, jolting in fright. My tear soaked cheeks are now completely frozen from the cold, the tears having turned to ice. The cold isn't my main problem however, and my nightmare is momentarily forgotten, as it is clearly apparent that a new danger has presented itself. My arm hangs loosely, swinging slightly in the cool breeze, while my face is being throttled by the wind. The biggest problem of them all, is that the right side of my body is currently resting on nothing, giving me a clear view of the empty abyss below. An empty abyss, that I am about to fall into.

Shit.

* * *

**Nero Koeing, 18, D2:**

My grip on the machetes is hard, my arms tensed and ready for battle. They have been like this since yesterday, and ever since I have roamed the islands looking for other tributes to take out my anger on. My uncontrollable rage that is slowly eating up my insides.

I haven't slept overnight, in fact I never tire at all. I am always wide awake unless the doctors put me on medication. But they aren't here are they? They aren't here to stop me, and I am free to do anything that I wish. My body has changed in amazing ways since I undertook treatment for that pesky cancer. Not only do I never sleep, but I cannot feel pain.

The wound that the District 1 boy inflicted on me at the Cornucopia, I didn't feel the pain at all. I felt the spear tear through my side, but it didn't hurt me at all. Not even a little. A small inkling of me realized I had been injured, despite the rest of my rage induced conscience wanting to continue to fight him. That small inkling was rational enough to force me away before I got too injured. Not for fear of pain however, but for blood loss. I may not feel the pain, but my body will still lose the blood.

I hear a twig snap behind me, which cause me to turn my head quickly, with wild eyes and a low growl. My vision is rather distorted, as it has been ever since I got the treatment. Now all I see it everything as if it is shrouded in darkness. I cannot see any person, but I attack anyway. I roar and sprint at the spot behind the tree, already swinging the machetes before I have seen what is behind the tree.

They collide with the birch tree, and only the tree, as the area is absent of humans. I snarl in annoyance, my face scrunched into a grimace. These tributes, they are trying to play tricks on me, they think it is funny to make me angry, do they? I let go of the handles of the machetes, which are still lodged in the tree, and begin punching the other trees around me. I put every ounce of fury into every punch, yet it never seems to run out.

I stop with ragged breath, examining my clenched fists and the knuckles. Red raw, scraped, and even cut. Little trickles of blood begin to trail down my ashy fists. The fuckers made me bleed, I'll make them bleed now!

I grunt as I grip the handles again, one in each hand, and pry them out of the tree. I look around wildly and begin to run. I run for a long time, I can tell even though I have no sense of time. The terrain begins to change, and I keep searching wildly. I don't know how I can just keep going, it might be because I don't tire. No fatigue presents itself as I run, no slumber begs to be taken as I wander, I just, keep, going.

I look up at the sky at one stage, and notice that the sun has started to lower down. This makes me even angrier. The sun can't go down yet! If it goes down, the other humans will go to sleep, and that means they won't be around for me to kill. I drop to my knees and punch the floor with anger, roaring at the sky so it goes back to afternoon. I breathe heavily, grunts audible in between, as I stare at the ground in defeat. That's when I hear it.

"Hello Nero." My head snaps up, eyes flaming with rage as I see three tributes, all holding hands. It sounds like all three of them spoke, and now they have gotten my attention. These three tributes, that hold each other's hands silently and happily, don't deserve to live. No one deserves to live. I rise up, shaking with anger as the three tributes stare at me. I cannot make out their faces, but I don't need to know their faces. All I need to know, is that they will die by my hand.

They don't have weapons, they don't have supplies either. All they have, is numbers. I growl at them, spit drooling from my mouth. My hands grip tightly to the machetes, once again. This time however, it is for a reason, for bloodshed.

"Nero, we only want to team with you," all of them say, still standing stationary. My breathing becomes more ragged by the second, until eventually I am snarling with every breath. I utter three words to them, the first two I have to grit my teeth, and say with the deepness of my throat.

_"Leave. . . Me. . . Alone!" _I roar with as much fury as I can muster. I raise my arms and charge towards them, causing them to turn and run off, all still holding hands.

_You're an abomination Nero. . . You're a monster Nero. . . You're a savage Nero. . . You should have died from that cancer Nero. . ._

The voices in my head, they speak to me as I run with blind rage. The voices have spoken to me before, tried to stop me before, and tried to fight me before. I know who it really is. It's me. The old me, trying to take control once again. He tries to change me back to the way I was. But in this state, I am too powerful. My rage fuels me, it drives me, and it's going to kill these three tributes for me.

I continue to follow the figures of the tributes, that never seem to speed off, or fall back. They always seem to remain the same exact distance away from me.

_Stop running, let me kill you._

How are they managing to maintain speed just like me? It doesn't make sense. When I get my hands on these bitches, I'm going to destroy them.

They start to run towards a large hill, one that would be much too hard for them to climb. On either side of the hill are thick trees that would be too difficult for them to escape into quickly enough. They are basically trapped. My eyes widen in a crazed excitement. I don't care if I'm crazy, I like it.

What I don't like however, is the three of them entering an opening in the side of the hill, which appears to be some sort of cave. I bark in anger as I sprint at the cave opening. Surely no escape now? I enter the cave, which is fairly large, to see the three tributes still holding hands, looking at the wall that has trapped them. I snarl at them, causing spit to fly at them.

_"Nowhere. . . To. . . Hide," _I manage to spit out. Before I can do anything, the three of them turn around, revealing themselves to me. Three girls, three girls that are tightly grasping each other's hands.

"We don't want to hide Nero," they say simultaneously. Somehow, I don't know how, but somehow, somewhere deep inside of me, I feel a faint recognition for these three girls in particular. One has burning red hair, while another has chapped lips. The last one, has ruby red lips, and that is when I recollect my memory. The three dead tributes, the ones killed at the start. They stand here, in front of me, looking alive as ever. I will have to put them back where they belong, in deaths embrace.

_"You. . . Are. . . All. . . Dead!" _I shout, lunging forward to attack. I slam my machete down the middle, directly where the one with the chapped lips stands. They all take a step back towards the wall, causing me to miss. I swipe to my right at the one with the ruby red lips, who manages to sidestep it and punch me in the nose. The force knocks me back a bit, but I don't feel the pain. I bellow and charge forward, slamming into the girl with the red lips. She doesn't evade in time, so I collide into her chest and crush her against the wall. I hear a crack as the back of her head smashes against the wall, which earns nothing in response.

I stumble back, trying to regain my footing, when I look up at them again. They look very different now. In the time span of a couple of seconds, their appearances have changed drastically. The one with the ruby red lips not only bleeds from the back of her head, but is missing her windpipe, and has a deep cut in her stomach, flooded with her own blood.

The girl with the chapped lips, is now missing a nose, as well as both her ears. Her stomach and chest is ripped open, to show her inner organs. Her heart pumps while her intestines and god knows what else falls out with a splat, leaving an empty crevasse.

The girl with the red her looks as if she is connected by pieces, her body being disproportionate and abnormal, not to mention incredibly bloody and disfigured. Each one of them stare at me with a burning fury, which I return equally with a snarl.

The three girls begin to stride towards me, each with an expression of vivid determination. I hold up my machetes, ready to protect myself for when they attack. The red headed girl is the first to reach me. She lunges at me and tries to claw out my eyes. I move my head to the side and slam the hilt of the machetes up into her chin, causing her jaw to crack. I make sure to kick her back in the stomach, making her stumble back into the girl with the chapped lips. That girl pushes the red head out of the way and continues running towards me, her intestines dragging on the ground. I make sure to get the timing right, readying myself to make a move. Just as she is about to collide into me, I slam my fist into the nonexistent nose of the girl, causing her head to snap back. I then grab her intestine and wrap it around her neck.

The girl struggles, snarling and growling at me, trying to grab onto the intestine and pry it away. It continues to constrict her as I ready one of my machetes, until I finally make my move and slice her head clean off. Instead of her body slumping to the floor, it turns to black smoke that willows away until it has dissipated. I stumble back almost losing balance as the intestine that I was hanging onto turned to smoke. For a moment I'm confused, which gives the remaining two enough of a distraction to attack me.

Both of them grab my arms, trying to pull on them to tear them off. Now it's my turn to struggle against their grip, which I find I don't have much of a problem doing, especially since immense power surges through my veins. I pull my arms close to me, causing the two girls to stumble forward and collide heads. While they are momentarily incapacitated, I push the red head so that she faces me. I notice that her head is one of the abnormal conjoined parts of her body, so with as much power as I can conjure, I slam my fist into her face, literally into her face. My fist travels through her head, coming out the other side.

She slumps dead for a moment, before her body as well turns to black smoke. I feel a pair of cold hands wrap around my throat, and I am thrown to the ground. I land with a thud, the hands still constricting my breathing. I look up to see the girl with ruby red lips, staring down at me with rage. She tries her hardest to maintain a firm grip around my throat, but I am too powerful for her. I collide my forehead into hers, stunning her and shifting my position. I grab the back of her head and drag her over to the wall, while she frantically struggles against me.

I reach the wall and do not hesitate to slam her head into it, hearing the sound of a sickening crack. I do it again, and again, and then again. Constantly, over and over, I smash her face into the stone wall, with the cracks turning to crunches, and then squelches. Her body eventually goes limp, turning into smoke a moment later.

I am left breathing heavily, mind even crazier than before. I pick my machetes off the floor, and trudge out of the entrance of the cave. I look around at the late afternoon sky, daring anyone to face me. This time I don't roar at the sky, but instead, I howl.

* * *

**Haim Peridot, 18, D1:**

"1. . . 2. . . 3!" I hesitate, groaning in annoyance for what must be the fourth time. Am I serious right now? Am I that much of a bitch?

"Okay, this time. 1. . . 2. . . 3!" I am about to do it, before I bitch out again, causing me to punch the ground. Are you fucking serious Haim? Man the fuck up you broken nosed cunt! You've done this before!

"1! . . . 2! . . . 3!" I snap my nose back into place, cursing a wide array of colorful swear words. I bite my lip, waiting for the pain to disappear, which takes a while to do so. My nose throbs with pain, until eventually it begins to trickle away.

A day. It took me a damn day to fix my broken nose. I need to step up, I don't need the Capitol thinking I'm the wuss of the lot. To be fair, I have been rather preoccupied by my self-assigned task, or perhaps I should say my mission. Still, that isn't really an excuse not to immediately fix my nose.

It hurts slightly to breathe through, but I can live. There are more important things to be taken care of in this moment of time. That is in fact, my next plan of action. I examine the trail that I have been following, littered with blood puddles that have been making it so much easier to track.

I have of course, been hunting down Theia. I last saw her yesterday, escaping the middle island. I've been hot on her trail ever since, but I always seem just a bit behind. The blood I have been following isn't actually hers though, rather her victim of the start, Dana from District 12. Theia often mentioned how she was going to utterly destroy her when the Hunger Games began, so here we are now. I must say, she has done quite a fine job of that, as much as I hate to admit it. The only problem for her is, the fact that she is covered in Dana's blood, and even more unlucky for her, it is cold as fuck in this arena, so the blood clearly isn't drying.

The new puddle of blood that I have found is still wet. Normally this would be a fantastic sign as that would mean she would have been here recently. Since the blood isn't drying nearly as fast as she would like, it is staying wet. However, it's wet still because the arena is cold, so this could be fresh, or old, I certainly hope it's not the latter. Luckily for me, there is a way to tell how old it is. That heat reflecting jacket would be the reason the blood is still warm, so I can determine how old it is by its temperature.

I dip my finger in the crimson blood, groaning when I feel its icy touch. Cold. That means this was from a while ago. Shit, I have to continue on and hope I come across a more recent clue. And continue on I do. . . for half a fucking hour. It takes that long until something new comes up. Jeez the Gamemakers could make it a _little _easier for me. They want bloodshed right? Then fucking lead me to it, I'll provide for all!

This however, may be what I need to finally lead me to this bitch. It's yet another puddle of blood. But this time, when I touch it, it's warm. Thank-fucking-God, now we are headed somewhere. I stand up after kneeling down to feel for warmth in the blood, and that is when I discover how hungry I am. Oh the rumbling, the hammering my stomach gives itself, begging for food. I've been so distracted by my stupid fucking District partner that I haven't eaten since yesterday!

I put down my spear and take off my back pack, zipping it open to look inside. As I rummage through, I become thoroughly disappointed with what I see. No fucking food. Thank you very much Capitol, and especially you Welsh, now instead of hunting for Theia and killing her which is what you actually _want _to see, you'll have to put up with me hunting for food. You happy now Capitol? Welsh? I'm sure you are, sitting in your plush sofas with a three course meal prepped in front of your lazy asses. Well, time to be productive.

I put my back pack back on, and pick up my sleek spear, head still coated in Nero's blood. I go slightly off path, into the thickness of the trees and bushes where the wildlife would really be. Despite how crowded I expect it to be, the area is completely empty of critters. Big animals like stags and boars, if there are any, are nowhere to be found, while I am almost confident rabbits and squirrels would be a lot harder to spot in such thick shrubbery. I never had to hunt in District 1, they always had food at the ready, and I never have gone hungry. This is where tributes from District 7 or 11 would thrive, since the majority of their Districts are nature based.

Then again, Naomi is kind of. . . dead. So that leaves Quinn from District 11 as the sole person representing their District. He isn't alone in that role though, the same goes for Whent, the little fucking brat who I almost beat the shit out of at training, and Fletcher who took the role of being the last tribute from his District with open arms.

After a little wandering, I spot a flock of fat birds waddle literally right by my feet. I manage to take out two before the rest scatter off, but two should suffice anyways. I recognize the bird to be Groosling, which is a delicacy in District 1 as it often isn't very available. Some say that the Grooslings were genetically created to try and feed the Capitol while they were cut off from District 9 and 10's food supply. Once they became sick of the bird, they released millions of them into the wilds of Panem, only once they had regained a food income from District 10 again, because they kind of. . . blew up, District 9's food source.

I spend about half an hour plucking the birds, gutting the birds, and maybe an hour in total after I cook one of them. The meat is just as I remember it, fat, juicy, and tender. How could the Capitol become sick of this bird? I polish off one bird, before cooking the other one and saving it for later. I have a mission to do, and I cannot allow myself to be stalled any longer.

The trail begins to lead me downhill, into some sort of valley. A small stream flows softly down the middle, a bed of rocks present on both sides. I freeze as I spot something move by the river bank. Fuck. This is not exactly something I want to run into. What I am talking about is an enormous brown grizzly bear. It doesn't seem to notice me yet, as it appears to be rather preoccupied by reaching for fish in the water.

Why are there fucking _bears _in this arena? I thought they wanted us to kill each other off, how the fuck are we meant to do that when there are giant bears that can probably eat whole people? I don't know how to continue on, since it appears that Theia has gone in the direction that the bear is in, across the lake. I cannot exactly just stroll past it, maybe ask if it's having a swell day, no fuck that. If I get anywhere near that thing it'll no doubt maul me. As confident as I am, I don't think I can beat a fucking 7 foot bear. This is just brilliant isn't it?

"You make things so easy for me don't you Mr Welsh?" I mutter with extreme sarcasm. I wield my spear in a nervous anticipation, trying to decide on what to do. It seems that no matter what I think of, it always results in me dying. The majority of the deaths is getting eaten by the bear. I pace back and forth as I think, stopping only to watch a group of birds fly in their usual v-shape up above. Wait. Birds. Bird equals meat. Meat equals food. Food equals distraction. The Groosling! I swing my back pack around so I can access it, unzipping it and taking out the remaining Groosling. This was meant to be a future meal, but if it can save me from this bear, then who am I to complain?

I sneak forward, trying not to make any sudden movements and alert the bear of my presence. I get right up close to the water, so I am several feet away from the bear. I don't know if this bear is natural, or some kind of mutt. If it's real, I can safely assume all it wants is food and that it will be satisfied with the Groosling. If it's a mutt however, who is to say it would even want the Groosling, what if it only has a taste for humans? And fish I suppose, because he is kind of fishing for them. Now that I think about it, if it is fishing, it is probably just a regular bear, despite it being a grizzly.

I throw the Groosling near its head, not too close to startle it, nor too far for it to not notice. It perks up its head with mild interest, almost appearing as if it's going to ignore it before its nose begins to flare. It's picked up the scent, now I have to hope that it goes for it. It raises its head higher, evidently sniffing the air for the scent, before turning its head to look at the Groosling rested on the rocks nearby. It glances at it for a moment, before lazily groaning and lumbering over towards it.

"Fuck yeah!" I whisper, giving a miniature fist pump. I'm so damn smart, I have this one in the bag. I zip my bag back up and shift it back behind me, before looking at the river for a way across. Haim, you are such an idiot. Maybe before you threw the Groosling, you could have decided what the best way across was you dickhead. I frantically scan the river, seeing stones littered all throughout it. I could try to jump from stone to stone, but if I fall, that's hypothermia for me. And I can't just wade through the water, as it would also give me hypothermia.

I look up the river to see if there is any way across. A small waterfall floods the start of the river, which makes that look unlikely, and the other direction is the bear still. I'm going to have to leap from rock to rock, and not fuck it up. I look back at the bear, which is luckily still too busy eating the Groosling. I breathe deeply, drawing in the energy that can make me succeed in this jump.

I am about to jump, when I hear noise coming from behind me. It sounds as if it is coming from the trees. I turn around to see tree branches slightly swaying, and bushes shake as someone attempts to get through them. I watch as the person stumbles out onto the plain, freezing when they see me. I examine them, causing me to smile sinisterly. Oh it is about time.

Theia stands frozen, still covered in Dana's blood, and with her daggers clenched in both hands. She eyes me darkly as I now pay full attention to her, taking a couple of light steps forward. Her white blonde hair has blood in it as well, and her face is slightly bloody, mixed with dirt from the arena. I smirk at her, calling out to her a second later.

"Dear District partner! I've been look for you everywhere!" I exclaim. She does not respond, instead she still stands poised and ready.

"Aren't you happy to see good old Haim? Your best bud?" I ask. I don't expect an answer, so I am not exactly disappointed when she scowls at me.

"No? That's a shame isn't it? Oh well, time to put you down then if you're going to be so disrespectful," I say with a shrug. I grit my teeth and ready the spear. She is about to run, but she has no time to react, because I lob the spear, and it sails right towards her heart. Her cold, bitter heart.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Ooooo cliffhanger! What's going to happen next chapter guys? Is Theia going to die? Would I kill someone like Theia off this early? (Yes). Anyways sorry guys, it's been about a week and a half since I've last updated, but you know. . . School. . . Anyways I am back with this chapter, which I enjoyed writing quite a bit. We now know what Rhode's plan is and she has asked for her reward from the Hunt Trial, Quinn had some terrible nightmares and has almost rolled off the island in his sleep, Nero is fighting dead tributes, and Haim is about to be successful in killing Theia. Speaking of Haim, I am just going to give a permanent WARNING for his POV's, with the amount of swearing he has in them. Anyone want to count the amount of F-bombs that he dropped alone?**

**Nero's chapter was a little different to write, since he is kind of off his head right now, so I hope I did well with that. You'll also notice that I have finally worked out how to implement the lines that separate the paragraphs! So that's awesome! Last chapter I said reviews certainly went up for the bloodbath, and then they dropped again. 3 last chapter hahaha, oh well, I know I have lost certain people from this story any ways. But still, please do review! I would love to hear your feedback!**

**Now yes, I know there are still some tributes we haven't seen yet, you will see them eventually! I am writing about where the drama is and the action, but I will show the others, trust me! Also don't expect death to happen **_**every **_**chapter, because I want this to be a really awesome and developed story. Anyways, don't worry, death is coming very soon, as you may be able to tell from the name of the next chapter which will be on my profile! Or maybe from the events of Haim's. . . **

**See you guys next time!**

**-Ares**

* * *

I have decided to put a list at the bottom of every chapter about who is still competing, just in case you guys forget.

_Remaining Districts:_

**District 1**

**District 2**

**District 3**

**District 4**

**District 5**

**District 6**

**District 7**

**District 8**

**District 9**

**District 10**

**District 11**

**District 12**

* * *

_Remaining Tributes:_

**Haim Peridot - District 1**

**Theia Cartelle - District 1**

**Nero Koeing - District 2**

**Ladonna Gully - District 2**

**Dayta Owens - District 3**

**Liesel Varner - District 3**

**Danix Bait - District 4**

**Rhode Nerida - District 4**

**Minho Lyun - District 5**

**Laelia Webber - District 5**

**Aramid Vicuna - District 6**

**Hera Loughbrook - District 6**

**Atlas Verdini - District 7**

**Phionex Blast - District 7**

**Rexx Kerdom - District 8**

**Libra Spindle - District 8**

**Fletcher Wilds - District 9**

**Vince Rojarze - District 10**

**Cassia Summers - District 10**

**Quinn Holland - District 11**

**Whent Lush - District 12**


	36. Spilling of Crimson

_Day 2: Evening_

* * *

**Theia Cartelle, 16, D1:**

It all happens too fast. The spear, sailing towards my heart. I see it travelling with immense speed. I see it collide into my chest, piercing my heart. I see myself stumble back from the force, and watch as the blood spurts out from the wound. I can hear myself struggle to breathe, with wheezing breaths that I try to suck in through my mouth.

I watch, as Haim strides over towards me, looking at me with smug triumph. I can't do anything, I am done for. I can hear myself gasp as he pries the spear back out of my chest, hovering the sharp end at my body once again. He glares at me, with a look of satisfaction.

"Game over, bitch." I hear him grunt the words, mere seconds before he thrusts the spear through my forehead.

I see all of this in the blink of an eye, my imminent future if I do not move in these few milliseconds. My horrid prediction for how this may play out is cut off when I once again lay my eyes on the spear. I whisk myself to the side just as the spear is a few inches from making contact with my heart. I hear the sound of it rush past me, making a solid thud as it wedges itself into the tree that was directly behind me.

I stare at it with wide eyes, breathing deeply with my heart pumping at an insane rate. My still beating heart. The spear vibrates due to the force, looking like it's impaled pretty deep. That was about to be impaled through me. I look back at Haim, who stands frozen, a look of complete and utter fury etched onto his face. He shakes with anger, as I turn to properly face him with my daggers held up. Now I am the one with weapons, and he is quite helpless, trapped between myself and a grizzly bear.

"You fucking whore! You should be dead!" He snarls at me, still shaking with rage.

"Well you're pretty predictable Haim, you think I wouldn't have been ready to move in an instant?" I scoff. I watch him slam his hand down on his left waist, not noticing him grab the hilt of a large knife that had been held by a black sheath until he holds it up at me, shaking it accusingly.

"Oh you think you're so clever, hey everyone, I'm Theia, I'm so much better than all of you and I'm totally going to kill Haim," he says attempting to mimic and impersonate me. I glare at him, with daggers shooting from my eyes.

"You're the one that is so cocky and up yourself you self-pretentious ignorant fuck-boy, and yes I think I will kill you thank you very much," I hiss at him, causing him to stare darkly at me and grit his teeth.

"I beg to differ, it'll be you that will be 6 feet under in a moment, but I think I'll make it slow and painful, just like you made it for the girl from 12," he shouts. The thought of Dana makes my blood boil, and makes me grip my dagger handles with anger.

"I wasn't even finished with her, she was too weak to live on. She thought she could beat me, and look what happened to her, the same thing is about to happen for you," I say through gritted teeth. He laughs at my comment, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but have you failed to realize who you are about to fight? Not some wispy young inexperienced little girl, but me instead. I promise you this, you won't be breathing after the next five minutes," he snarls.

"It's cute that you think that, but I like a challenge, so I'm down to remove your life from existence any day," I hiss. He grimaces at me, flipping around his large slender knife. I don't move at all, I don't even flinch. Why would I? Haim doesn't scare me, I know I can easily beat him. I almost killed him back in the Capitol, but I purposefully didn't. Imagine if I had actually been trying to kill him. I ignore the small voice that tells me that he wasn't exactly prepared when that happened.

"Go on, make your move," he says sharply. I grip the gold handle of my dagger, running my finger over the sleek blade of the weapon.

"Why don't you?" I ask in a challenging tone. He points at his spear that is still embedded into the tree.

"That was my first move, so make yours you stupid bitch," he snarls at me. I tense in anger, my gaze staring darkly at him while my blood boils in rage. I hate him. I hate him so much. I want so much right now to be able to drive this dagger into his eyes. I can. I am completely allowed to do that, so why don't I? I don't want to admit why, because it completely contradicts what I thought before, that I could easily beat him. In reality, it probably won't be so easy.

I don't want to rush into it, I need to take my time, think of the best way to take him out, or at least make him incapacitated. When that happens, I'll be free to kill him in any way that I want. I'll finally be able to freely kill the asshole that I've wanted to kill ever since I first interacted with him.

"Oh, is it just that you're too scared?" he says sarcastically, pouting his face and pretending to rub his eyes like he is crying.

"Ha, I always knew you were too weak to go up against me. You can kill a little turd from District 12, but you can't even take on the person that you have been speaking shit to this entire time," he says with a smug looking smirk.

"You're the one that has been shit talking everyone, you're not one to talk, so come and attack me then," I say, raising my arms. He just glares at me now, and that's when I realize that he isn't going to make a move. I'm not going to make a move either, so where does that leave us? At a stale mate. None of us can move without being sure the other will have a clear path to killing the other, it just cannot happen. He has no long range weapon anymore, so he can't kill me from all the way over there, or I could throw one of my daggers at him, but I want to make his death slow and painful, just like Dana's, because that's just what he deserves.

I want to, I want to so bad, but my common sense draws me back, over powering my blinding hatred for Haim. If none of us are going to move, then how can I kill him with a slow painful death? I can't! Unless. . .

I grab a small but sharp knife from my belt, one easy to throw and that would easily pierce the skin. Haim's frown rises slightly into a smirk.

"What, so you're finally going to try and make your move? Good luck with that," he laughs cruelly. I shake my head in denial, causing his face to drop in confusion, which he quickly alters back to his usual cocky smirk.

"Then what are you going to do with it?" He asks, crossing his arms. I flash him a cruel smile.

"This." With that one word, I launch the knife. I watch it spin, shining in the vibrant purple sunset. Haim is about to move, until he realizes that the knife isn't aimed at him. He watches with wide eyes as it flies past him, looking back and dropping his mouth in horror at what it is about to hit. He looks at me with eyes full of rage, shouting his last words of the moment at me.

"You bi-!" his words are drowned out by a deafening roar, as the knife impales the shoulder of the grizzly bear that had just been finishing its meal. Haim's eyes turn from hate to fear in a matter of seconds as he hears the bellowing of the bear. It's working. My plan was that I would hit the bear with the knife, bringing its attention our way. Since Haim is closer, it would pay attention to him, and hopefully catch him and eat him alive. A nice slow and painful death for Haim, and the gift of escape for me! Fool proof. There is just one thing I need to do now. Run.

As soon as I move, Haim does as well, causing the bear to growl and charge towards us. Fuck, I didn't realize how fast bears were. I leap between two tightly spaced trees, and hit the ground running. I look behind me and spot Haim do the same, managing to just pry his spear out of the tree before the bear reaches the two trees. It is too tight for the bear to get through, but I have no doubt that the bear will shortly manage to barge through both trees, so I continue to get the fuck out of here.

"You idiot, you absolute fucking idiot, you're going to get the both of us killed, where is the fun in that?" Haim huffs from somewhere behind me.

"Correction, I'm going to get you killed," I snap back at him. As I am running, I grab a low branch that I carry along with me for a few feet, before ducking and letting it fly back. I hear a thud as it smacks into Haim's head, causing him to grunt and stumble forward. That slowed him down a bit. I look behind once again, seeing that Haim is now a bit further away, and that the bear is actually catching up.

"You whore, I'll fucking destroy you!" Haim roars once he has recovered from the shock of getting smacked by the tree branch. I spot out of the corner of my eye, Haim bending low and picking something up off the ground. My eyes widen before turning back and preparing to duck my head. Too late. The rock collides with the back of my head, thrusting the top half of my body forwards and causing me to see stars. I am dazed for a moment, staggering forward and trying to stay on a straight path. I rub the back of my head, gritting my teeth as I push myself further.

I hear the bear roar again, now sounding a lot closer. I turn my head around, seeing Haim just on my tail, and the bear weaving in and out of the compacted trees. Shit, I need to slow Haim down. I pat down my body and search my belt for something to throw at Haim, noticing a couple of small ninja stars. I grab one and waste no time in doing a windmill throw, so it flies from my hands and slices into Haim's waist, on his left. He cries out in an aggravated pain, grunting and breathing heavily trying not to slow down. I look behind me once again, and see that he has indeed slowed down, gripping his waist with one hand and his spear with the other. He looks at me with relentless fury, causing me to immaturely poke my tongue out at him.

With wild eyes, he lets out a war cry and swipes his spear at my legs. I am not prepared for it, and only just manage to get one leg over. However, Haim manages to slice into my left calf, causing me to curse. Fuck, not my leg! Haim attempts it again, but this time I am more prepared. I jump over the swipe, and land back on my feet, ignoring the stinging sensation in my left calf.

Haim trying to slice my legs with the spear, and myself being slowed from him actually managing to do it, has significantly slowed us. The bear is about a half minute sprint from us now, so it's now or never that I slow down Haim. As I run, or you could say limp, I spot a rock similar to the one Haim threw at my head. I scoop down and pick it up, quickly jumping in a 360 and tossing it at Haim's wound that I gave him. He cries out even louder this time, collapsing to the ground for long enough for me to get a hefty distance between us. Just as I leave the vicinity of Haim, the Capitol Anthem plays, and the sky lights up with the Seal. No deaths today, not until directly after this.

I smile to myself once the anthem ends and the sky returns to normal, knowing that this is it, the death of Haim. I listen to it blissfully, his cries of fear, his shouts of pleas, and his broad spectrum of curse words. I can live happy knowing that Haim is being eaten alive, and that he would have died a slow painful death. I jog now, mainly because my calf is screaming at me to stop running. My breaths are quick and filled with pain, mostly because I have never had to run that fast for that long in my entire life, especially with an injury to my calf.

I stumble forward, avoiding trees and ducking under branches, until I come out into a clearing. This isn't just any clearing, it's the edge of the island. The fog surrounds the outskirts of it, while a bridge made up of rope and wood planks stands rocking in the breeze. I can escape off of this island. I take careful steps while I am on the bridge, partially because of my injury, but mostly because I am worried it isn't stable enough. I am about halfway across, when I realize something weird. Shouldn't I have heard a cannon? I know I wanted to give Haim a slow and painful death, but I didn't think it would be _this _slow.

As I wonder about this, I hear distant shouting, growing closer and closer by the second. Accompanied by the shouting, I hear the roar of a bear. My eyes widen as a figure bursts on to the plain, one that is too hard to see as it is too dark at this moment. It doesn't take a genius to work out who it is though. How the fuck is he still alive? There is a brief moment where Haim stops and looks at me. We eye each other down for a moment, before the bear also bursts onto the clearing. Shit.

Haim sprints towards the bridge, while I sprint towards the other side, despite the begging of my aching calf. I must get there first, I must! More swaying on the bridge means that Haim is also on the bridge. I turn around as I reach the island, seeing that Haim is a quarter of the way across, while the bear bounds towards the start of the bridge. I don't care about giving Haim a slow and painful death anymore, I don't care how he dies, I just want him dead!

I grab a large serrated knife from my belt, before sawing away at the thick rope. Haim sees what I'm doing, but he struggles to speed up. He instead hobbles towards me, giving me a look of mercy. At least I think its mercy, even if it isn't, he will not get it. As he gets half way across, I finish sawing through the first rope. The bridge tilts sideways, causing Haim to stumble to the side, just before he grab onto the other rope. His eyes are wide and worried, looking back at the bear, and then towards me, who is halfway through the other rope. He tries one last attempt at making his way to the other side, but he cannot possibly make it in time.

It's all in slow motion from here on out. The knife severs through, causing the rope to tear and drop towards the abyss. The rest of the bridge, as well as Haim drops down into the abyss, the foggy, deep, and ambient abyss. I see Haim look at me one last time, before I can no longer see him anymore. This happens just as the bear flies over the edge of the island, not realizing the bridge was about to collapse. The bear, Haim and the bridge all disappear, with the loud wind and the Bears roar drowning out what I presume to be Haim's cannon.

I collapse to my hands and knees, breathing heavily after the events that just took place. It takes a couple of minutes to recover, before I eventually manage to stand up and take one last look at the abyss.

Haim is gone.

* * *

_Day 3: Morning_

* * *

**Liesel Varner, 15, D3:**

"What the fuck?" I grunt, shielding my face from the loud and heavy winds. I don't know why, but it began shortly after the death recaps were shown, which funnily enough, contained no deaths to share. Regardless, the wind is deafening, blocking out almost all audible sound and stinging my face with cold. It has been like this for several hours now, so if anyone's cannon has boomed since it began, I wouldn't have been able to hear it, which honestly is quite annoying.

My arm shields the bottom half of my face, with my eyes squinting so that I can somewhat see. My orange hood has been raised over my head to insulate at least some of the heat, but currently it doesn't do an amazing job of it. I trudge forward, pushing against the winds force as it attempts to push me back. It is now Day 3, and the arena already feels alive and dangerous, as if it is trying to kill us.

I have been hiking for a while now. I haven't been running, or in a rush, but I've just been taking my time and kind of enjoying the serenity. Of course I have always been ready for a potential attack, but so far I seem to be lucky. That is until this infuriating wind has begun. Aside from that, I've just been wandering around, partly hunting for food and tributes, and partly keeping a look out to ensure my safety.

The island I am currently on now, is the fruit island. All around me is filled to the brink with fruits and flora, meaning I could easily have a feast. A feast that I don't want. I know poisonous fruit when I see it, and this entire island is full of it. Even the scent is poisonous to me, although it may just be the horrendous sweetness I pick up. It wasn't so bad at first, until it began to get overwhelming, especially with the wind blowing so intensely, hitting me full throttle with the smell of the poisonous fruit.

A small part of me wonders if there is a possibility that I could die from too much of it, but my common sense dismisses that. I flick my katana around lazily, trying to cut off random bits of fruit from the bushes and trees that surround me.

I have to admit it, I miss Dayta. I have been alone for so long in my life, that I should be normalized to it. However, after a week of hanging around Dayta, and other tributes in general, I have kind of grown more accepting of the presence of other people. As much as I am hesitant to admit it, I enjoyed Dayta's company. The banter we had was. . . Fun I suppose, and the constant competitive atmosphere between us just made my experience more enjoyable.

So yes, I already miss him. It's not like he is dead yet, gone from the world forever, but still knowing I may never see him again has kind of hit me harder than I thought it would. In fact, I kind of crave human presence in general. Being around Dayta has made me much more open to that concept, and it's made me feel human and social again. It was kind of like an anchor, something to help hold my ground of just being me.

Even if it's fighting against someone, or just seeing someone, I really desire that to happen. Do I regret splitting up with Dayta? Still no. But I cannot help but wish he was beside me, giving me someone to talk to or make fun of.

I sigh, letting out a huff of white steam.

_Those were the good old days. _

Yeah the good old days Liesel, despite them being only a couple of days ago, idiot. Am I starting to go a little crazy? I don't think so, that would happen after days of no human contact and living with the wildlife. I have only been talking to myself for just over a day, so I may only be slightly delusional and very weary. It is the early morning of day 3 after all, still not that far into the games.

I am starting to become a little distracted now, which is quite worrying. I've not really been paying attention to my surroundings for the past five minutes, and I've literally just rambled on in my mind for a solid day. This was how it was like just after my life collapsed around me. The moment after it began, until it ended and I ended up entering these ridiculous games.

After my parents had died, the District 3 soldiers or the District 0 soldiers, one of those two, they rounded up many people that they thought were against District 0. Among those people were my sister Kady, and myself. We weren't against District 3 or 0, nothing like that. In fact, I do not know why they believed we were. Despite this, they took us and several others to literally the middle of nowhere.

In that hell hole of a place, that they called Jurkata, we were treated to the worst atrocities of mankind. We witnessed people be tortured to death, be interrogated until they broke down, with the same sort of things happening to us. I don't know what information thought we had, but it must have been valuable.

The only thing that got us through that death camp, was each other. As corny and cliché as that sounds, Kady was the reason I kept going, and I was the reason that Kady kept going. As the days drew on, the other prisoners began to die off. There were about 140 of us to begin with, and by this time there had only been 23 of us left. They must have thought that the weak ones died off, and that the people with valuable information were the ones that refused to break.

So one by one, the interrogated us in the most brutal ways possible. The ways that would affect us most, the ways that would make us break. But break what? I had nothing to hide!

They drugged me and brought me to some new place, no longer Jurkata, but a place that made Jurkata look like a tropical resort. Ryrkuna. Hell on earth.

They tried electrocution, whipping, beating, even brainwashing. It was none of them that got to me though. The only thing that got to me, was when they threatened the life of Kady. When they raised the gun to her head, I can just remember how my body felt. Heavy, cold, and stiff. They gave me one more chance, so I told them. I told them absolute bullshit that I had to improvise off of the top of my head. Surprisingly, it worked. At least I hope it worked.

They knocked me out again, and once I woke up I had been left in the middle of ruins. Kady wasn't anywhere to be seen, and I have never seen her since. I can only hope that she is still alive. I wandered the ruins of the town for a while, until I fainted from dehydration. They had left me for dead. However, I didn't die. I woke up in a new place, it was dark, cramped, and musty. A man had been beside me, calming me down when I had panicked. Remy was his name, I think. He told me I was in an abandoned hospital, and that he had saved me from dehydration. I was slightly thankful at the time, but still very confused and _very _skeptical of Remy. Apparently he was a rebel leader that had been exiled to this place we were at.

Remy didn't last that much longer though. Once I found out about his stash of food, money, and weapons, I slit his throat in his sleep. I remember the look of alarm in his eyes, and the sound of him choking on his own blood. He didn't last long after I had done so, and soon enough he had perished. That is where I remained for a couple of years, until the Capitol found me, and brought me back to Ryrkuna, which had now been transformed into just a holding prison.

It still brought back the memories, the painful and scary memories of what had happened there prior. I had hoped I would find Kady there, yet there was still no Kady. I can only hope that Kady is still out there somewhere.

The Peacekeepers informed the prisoners of the Hunger Games, the ones aged 12-18. Once they brought us to the Reaping, I knew I would be chosen. Why wouldn't they have rigged it? A supposed rebel was getting reaped instead of their lapdogs of District 3.

That brings me to where I am today. My life having been stolen away from me, along with my innocence and childhood. Now I'm stuck in an arena where the only escape isn't simply making up fake information, but having 23 other people die.

I shake my head and sigh, looking around with heavy eyes. This is going to take a while. I lean up against a tree, closing my eyes and resting them for a moment. They are sore from the excessive time they have remained open. I am so tempted to just find somewhere to hide, and set up camp to give me time to sleep. As I contemplate what to do, I feel something cold and sharp rest up against the side of my neck. My eyes snap open at the words that follow.

"Don't even think about moving." It's a girl, I can tell that by the voice. The question is who? My question is answered when the tribute slowly walks around to the front of me, weapon still pressed up against my neck. My eyes make contact with theirs, cold and threatening to look at. Phionex from District 7.

"Well, what do we have here? District 3?" Phionex says with vague amusement. I go to pull out my katana, however Phionex pushes her axe hard against my neck, likely drawing blood.

"What did I say?" she asks sternly.

"Aren't you in. . . an alliance?" I ask hoarsely, this having been the first time I have spoken in a day.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am," she says smirking.

"Then where are they?" I ask her blankly. She smiles and tilts her head to the side.

"They are around, it's just me at the moment. Just me and. . ." she says trailing off, looking at something behind me. I hear the cracking of twigs, and ruffle of leaves as someone makes their way over here.

"Phi, there was nothing that way," the voice says sounding tiresome. Phionex beams at the person and nods towards me.

"Well look what I found!" she says with somewhat excitement. The tribute walks over to Phionex, looking at me so I can fully see them. The tributes face drops in utter surprise, turning somewhat red.

"Liesel?" they ask.

"Hey. . . Vince," I croak. Phionex's expression turns from gleeful to worry in a matter of seconds, mouth opening slightly and eyebrows furrowing to appear concerned.

"You know her?" Phionex asks sternly. Vince looks sheepishly at the ground, before looking back up at her.

"Yeah, in the Hunt Trial was when we met, we had to help each other to get out of a specific obstacle," he says with a shrug. Phionex's glare hardens, shooting a look of fury at me, and then looking back at Vince.

"You mean to tell me, you helped someone from District 3?" she asks, voice sounding shrill. He sighs, before nodding his head solemnly. Phionex grits her teeth, appearing like she is trying to hold in quite a lot of emotion.

"Why?" she grunts. I wince as I feel the axe digging further into my neck. Vince notices this, a look of worry appearing on his flustered face.

"Careful! You're hurting her!" Vince cries out, pointing at me.

"I said, why?" Phionex says darkly. Vince looks back at her meekly, dropping his arm with a troubled look.

"Phi, not all people from District 3 are bad," Vince mutters, looking at me with a weak smile.

"She helped me out, and I did the same back, you can't let the actions of her District cloud your judgement of her as a person." I expect Phionex to snap at him, shout and yell at him before chopping my head clean off. Yet she doesn't do any of that, instead she continues to listen to Vince.

"We are good people Phi, we are not killing Liesel," Vince says firmly, making my chest flutter and Phionex's mouth drop in shock.

"She will join our alliance," he says crossing his arms.

"What?!" both Phionex and I utter this in surprise, Phionex being perhaps much more outraged.

"You want someone from District 3 to join the United Pack? A group made from the lot of us that fought against the Capitol?" Phionex says in a high tone.

"Think about it Phi, it is only the two of us for now, the whole alliance is split up and we don't even know if we will ever see them again. So we are definitely down in numbers for now. Plus, Liesel will be beneficial to our alliance. She is smart, resourceful, and knows how to survive," he points out.

"And how do you know that she won't kill us in our sleep? Or stab us in the back?" Phionex challenges him.

"She won't, I know she won't, I count her as a friend, and together we can get far," Vince preaches.

"Do I get a say in this?" I ask.

"No!" Phionex growls at me, before turning back to Vince.

"We are meant to be hunting people Vince, not recruiting for our alliance. We had training to do that, and now we should be taking out the competition," she says, presenting a new emotion. Panic, worry, caution.

"This is the one exception," Vince promises, taking Phionex's hand lightly. He flashes her a hope filled smile, and wide puppy dog eyes only a child would use. Phionex turns her gaze back to me, lip trembling and axe still pressed up against my neck. She shakes now, before looking down at the floor with anger. She then takes the axe away and gives an aggravated sigh, before storming off behind some trees.

I allow myself to slide down the tree, landing on my bum and resting my head. Vince kneels down beside me, examining the wound on my neck. He murmurs something beneath his breath before rummaging through his back pack. He pulls out what looks like a first aid kit, grabbing some cotton wipes and rubbing alcohol.

"I'm so sorry about that Liesel," he mutters bitterly. I look up at him with weary eyes.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not dead at least," I say with my husky voice. He somewhat laughs as he dabs the alcohol soaked cotton on the cut, causing me to cringe and bite my lower lip.

"You promise you won't kill us though, right?" he asks to make sure. I chuckle and look back at him once I reopen my eyes.

"Well, you did sacrifice yourself at the end of the Hunt Trial for me, and you do seem like a decent guy overall. As long as Phionex doesn't attack me, you won't have to worry about it," I say. Why did I make this decision? I suppose I just really needed company, and Vince was the next best person to run into. Vince himself smiles at me, before taking off the damp cotton.

"I'm glad that's settled, so welcome to the alliance!"

* * *

_Day 3: Afternoon_

* * *

**Fletcher Wilds, 18, D9:**

It's now even darker than it was before, that being the blood of course. The deep crimson that has coated the blade of my sword. I have left it on, because I am going to let the blood of my victims continuously paint a new layer over the top of each one. So I have kept the blood of Naomi on the blade, and now it has finally dried, becoming dark and rough. Perhaps it will infect the person if they somehow manage to escape. Either way, it will definitely be a painful death for the person.

There is just one problem with the blood. As much as I love it, I still hate it. Not because of what it is, or how it looks, not any of that at all. It is because of who it belongs to. Naomi. It shouldn't belong to her. The person that should have their blood slicked on the length of the blade, is that little fucking infuriating piece of shit Cassia Summers. My hands grip the hilt furiously at the thought of her, my hands just wanting to crush her head, and constrict it so hard that it explodes.

Now that would be ideal. The thing is, Naomi jumped in the way. I had her. She was about to die, yet she had to play the hero and sacrifice herself so Cassia could survive. Pathetic. She has just made me angrier and things more difficult. I will kill Cassia though, I just have to find her. And find her I will, because since I am now _dear _friends with Jonah Welsh, he has been so kind to present me with a holographic map of the arena that erupts from a small tablet that I hold in my palm. There is a large blue dot near the top of the mountain island, and that is where their pathetic alliance is.

I take the tablet out of my pocket, placing it on my left palm and touching my finger on a small circular shape in the very center. The circle lights up blue, before projecting the map as a hologram. It's about the size of three dinner plates, featuring all the landmarks and evident aspects one would be able to plainly see of the arena, such as the mountain, the cornucopia, and the high pillars of stone with the bridges attached.

On the mountain, reasonably high up but on the other side of the island, is a large blue dot, which is apparently where the alliance still is. They haven't moved, good. What was it that Welsh told me they called themselves? Well supposedly they called themselves the Fantastic Four, until I killed Naomi. This causes me to chuckle at the memory of her wide eyes, filled with pain.

I get out the message that came with the map that Welsh had written for me. My eyes scan quickly through it, before landing on the name. Ah that's it, Whent proclaimed them as the Terrific Trio. I can barely contain myself from laughing at how idiotic these kids are. The arena is no place for someone so immature, like Whent. Soon enough, he will likely experience something so traumatizing that it makes him realize the truth behind it all. The reality that he will not be leaving this arena with his life will do the trick. He won't be around much longer, I'll probably kill him after I have killed Cassia, and the huge bitch Ladonna as well. That's if Whent survives till then of course.

I retract the holographic map and slip it back into my pocket, before observing my surroundings once more. The area I am in is dense and green, the majority of it being the thick underbrush that makes up the base of the mountain. It's where the cold gets worse, and the slope goes up. In all honesty it would be rather hard to spot someone in this thick forest of pine and plants, even if someone were looking for me. It shields the cold wind well enough, so I wouldn't be surprised if it is actually a hotspot for other tributes.

I grab my insanely huge sword, and my back packs that I have salvaged. I made sure to snap Naomi's bow in half, as well as the arrows, and then I threw them off the island. I have no use for a bow, and I don't want anybody else to get their hands on one. I'm confident that may have been the only bow in the arena, so unless someone is gifted one, good luck trying to kill from a far distance.

I examine the sword and frown, not because of the blood, but this time because it was not the weapon I originally intended on grabbing. I work best with a scythe. District 9 used scythes in the fields, and in my early life I did a lot of grunt work with them. Unfortunately, someone else got ahold of the scythe I had originally laid my eyes on. I had taken too long at the beginning, I should have thrown the socks, and just ran afterwards. But I wanted to see what I had done. I wanted to see Ancora blown to bits on the ground, I wanted to breathe in the smoke that held her tortured soul.

Alas, I enjoyed my kill, but I also paid the price for it. On the other hand, this sword was the next best thing. I honestly think it was meant for me, no way could anybody else wield it, aside from maybe Ladonna. The blade is about the width of my outstretched hand, and it is about the length of a spear rod. The blade, underneath all of the blood, is a bright white silver, with a very uniquely forged pattern that must have been made when the blade was being created.

It appears to be able to cut through anything, as it went through Naomi's body with ease. I could probably cut through a slim tree like it was paper, cut stone as if it was dough, carve up tributes like I am carving up a cake. I have heard that in Ancient Times, people had an affinity for naming their weapons, and I have the perfect name for it. I grab a sharp knife and bring it towards the hilt of the sword, with a sleek black metal being the handle. I etch the name into the handle, continuously scratching over each letter until they are all distinguishable, and set into the black as white carvings. I smirk at the name, snorting with humor.

_Life Devourer. _

It seems fitting enough, it devours the life of the victim it kills. Just my kind of sword. I lift up Life Devourer and slash at the trees in front of me, making an opening for me to get through. I step out and look around at the decently different terrain. Like I said, this is where the mountain begins to slope upwards, with the trees now being so much more separated causing the area to be much more open. Now I can see very far ahead of me through the gaps in the trees, which shows I have a bit of walking to do. All of it will be worth it in the end. I will make sure of that.

My eyes wander upwards, looking up at the sky. Most of it is blocked by the tall trees that litter the vicinity, but through the gaps that I can see, I watch vivid purple take up the vast scale that is the sky. I still don't know why they made the sky purple, it's really strange, but I don't overly care about the color of the sky. Right now, that is in the list of the least important things to me. What is important to me though, is what time of day it is. I can barely see the sun, but I can make out that it is slightly over the highest point of its course, and has already began its path to setting.

So that should mean it is around mid-afternoon on Day 3. Well nobody has died since the beginning of Day 1, so that's surprising. It won't last though, I have a very strong feeling that people will be dropping dead soon. I long to hear the firing of cannons echo through the arena, especially by the cause of my sword.

I walk for a bit, mainly undisturbed and with no need to stop. The mountain begins to become steeper, with the tree becoming shorter and even less plentiful. My plan is that I'll do the hard bit of climbing the mountain first, before gracing the outskirts until I am on the other side. It's going to be a boring and drawn out process, that is until I come across my first track about two hours after hiking up the mountain.

Blood. Splattered blood that has trickled off of a soaked bandage. Interesting, I don't remember any of the three remaining tributes from the trio being injured when I last encountered them. This could have happened since, but there isn't any confirmation. Those three would be stupid enough to leave a blood soaked bandage behind, so I may be on the right track. Of course I'm on the right track, I have a map. Come on Fletcher you're smarter than that.

I pick up the bandage with two fingers, holding it up to my face. I can smell the metallic hint that it gives off, but it is awfully cold. I suck some of the blood from it to fuel my taste for it. I missed the taste of blood. I close my eyes and give a sigh of relief, reveling in the moment. I run my tongue over the crimson liquid, enjoying the taste of iron that it presents. The blood becomes warm once again with help from my mouth. Once I remove the bandage, I can feel the little trickles of blood around my mouth. I'll leave it there, give the tributes something to question when they see me.

I fling the useless bandage away and stare ahead. My eyes widen with glee, my mouth curling into something rather sinister. Activity, evidence of human life, or perhaps just an abandoned camp. Either way, someone has been there. I stride forward to investigate, reaching the camp quickly. There is more blood that I can see, laying rather spread out on the ground. It rests close to a collapsed tree, which also has smears of cold blood painted onto it. It looks as if someone was trying to shift around, perhaps setting up this camp and healing themselves.

I kneel down to touch the blood, taking note that once again it is cold. I place my finger in my mouth and suck off the blood as I examine the rest of this camp. Whoever was injured had been sitting on this fallen tree trunk, and had likely been leaning on the tree behind it. On the ground is a small circle of rocks, the middle of it containing burned out charcoal. It also appears to have some kind of wooden stand made from sticks and string over it, suggesting that maybe the person had been cooking something. There doesn't appear to be any bones around the site though, and someone stupid enough to have left all of this lying around would be more than likely to have left bones.

I frown when I notice the charcoal is no longer emitting smoke, and when I feel it, it is stone cold with the embers having burned out a while ago. Then again, it's a reasonably cold arena, so that doesn't necessarily mean they have completely disappeared. They could still be in the area.

If this isn't the 'Terrific Trio', which I don't think it is, then I believe the people or person that was here would have gone higher. It would make sense, they already made it up this high, why wouldn't they go up further. I look up at the path ahead, and notice the snow has heavily coated the ground not far from here. Seems plausible, they may have gone up there for a supply of water.

I breathe deeply, knowing I am about to enter an area significantly colder than the majority of the arena, which I already cold enough. It's a moment like this that would make me regret throwing my socks at the land mine underneath Ancora to blow her up. It was a great idea at the time, but I could use those socks now. If only I had been a little more patient, but who am I kidding? I am the least patient person there is.

I pull my yellow hood over my head, which represents District 9. Seeing the color makes my eyes narrow in annoyance, and causes me to slightly growl with a low throaty rumble. If it wasn't the freezer of an arena, I would undoubtedly cut off my hood. Why would I want to voluntarily represent District 9? I hate District 9 with a passion. All it reminds me of is being held captive, not exactly the most pleasant thing a person can have as a memory.

I shake the thoughts from my mind and urge myself to focus on the current situation. I don't need to be distracted by pointless things, I need to concentrate and hopefully track down whoever this camp belonged to. I step over the fallen log and slowly walk forward. If there truly is someone close, I don't want to alert them by sound. That would scare them off, I want to fight them. I hold up Life Devourer in preparation, in case I need to attack something in an instant. It becomes apparent that nothing will be able to sneak up on me, as I reach the snow and the landscape becomes very open. The trees are left behind and now all I see is a desolate tundra of snow that continues to lead upwards.

The sun is beginning to set, showing a pink and red horizon that mixes the vibrant shades to effect. It reflects off of the snow, making it look somewhat orange, as if fire was being reflected against it. I stop in my tracks when I notice something imprinted into the snow. Footsteps, of two people it appears. My eyes follow where they lead, landing upon a pile of rocks and boulders. My eyebrow raises, a smirk creeping up on my face as I begin to approach the formation. I make sure to get behind the lot of them, pressing myself hard against the side.

I slowly slide myself along the length of the rocks, making sure to step lightly and not make a crunch in fluffy snow. As I begin to approach the other side, noises become audible to my ears. Talking, laughter, the crackling of Fire. My smile turns sadistic, and I feel like I have the glint of excitement in my eyes I always do before I kill. Whoever is around the side of these rocks, won't be living for much longer.

I raise Life Devourer up to eye level and prepare to face my competition.

* * *

_Day 3: Evening_

* * *

**Danix Bait, 17, D4:**

I open my mouth, placing a berry into it and closing it once again. I crush the berry with my teeth, and taste the juice flow onto my tongue, giving a tangy taste of sweetness. I close my eyes as I do this, reveling in the moment of satisfaction of eating this one berry. I chew slowly, before promptly moaning with pleasure as I rest my head back against the wall of the cave.

Laelia laughs, covering her mouth and shaking her head. I grin at her and swallow the berry, before opening my mouth wide and tilting my head up. She plucks another berry and slowly aims towards my face, then going on to throw it at my face. Instead of landing in my mouth, it ends up hitting me in the eye, causing me to gasp and rub it.

Laelia laughs even harder now, barely being able to contain herself as she falls back onto one elbow and shakes with laughter. It feels good. It feels so good, to finally feel somewhat safe. This is the first time I think I have seen Laelia laugh, and the first time in a while since I have seen her smile. It's a nice change, maybe it's because she is so nervous about the Hunger Games that she just cannot control it.

She begins to quiet down, breathing heavily and wiping her eyes of tears. I smile at her, before looking into the fire that warms our cave. The flames dance around, licking the stone wall of the cave and leaving a blackened appearance on it. I listen to its crackling with a complete and utter calmness that I have longed for during the duration of these past 3 days.

I've never had a need for fire, since District 4 was always humid, sometimes even scorching. It eliminated the need for any fire, therefore I have never had the chance to experience it. It hasn't gone out during the day or two we have spent in this cave, which leads me to believe it was made by Gamemakers. The food has also not gone to waste, with both Laelia and I having a feast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, each one an assortment of fruits.

My stomach feels comfortably full, as I glance down at it and place a hand on top of it. Instead of the empty echo that I had heard for the entirety of the first day, I hear more of a slap, as if I was hitting my chest.

For some reason, doing this causes Laelia to produce a look of alarm. I feel my mouth frown in confusion, as I look back down at my stomach to check if there is something wrong.

"What's wrong?" I ask curiously. I grow more worried as Laelia's vivid green eyes open wide with alertness, her body tensing as she perks up a bit.

"Lael-"

"Shush," she silences me with a brief whisper. My eyebrow raises in question as I now tense as well, my eyes flickering to our weapons and back.

"Do you hear that?" she whispers in a hushed tone. I bite my lower lip and shake my head.

"No, hear what?" I ask tentatively.

"It sounds like, someone walking in. . . the snow," she says, trailing off. There is a moment that both Laelia and I look at each other, a look of horror etched onto our faces. That's when I hear it as well. The crunch of snow under the foot of something heavy, the sound having easily blended into the crackling fire prior. Laelia is the one to move first.

"Get the weapons!" she says hurriedly. I leap to my feet and grab my spear off of the floor, before grabbing the hilt of Laelia's axe and tossing it to her. She gasps when she almost drops it, however she manages to hold on and prevent a loud clang that it would create. She looks at me positively fuming, as I raise my hands up in defense. She doesn't say anything though, maybe due to our current situation.

Whatever or whoever is out there has to be fairly big, the crunches were loud and not overly soft. Even if they are trying to stifle their steps, they aren't doing a very good job of it.

"We have to fight them," Laelia whispers nervously, glancing at the door.

"I'm not killing them," I say firmly, much to Laelia's dismay. She flashes me a critical look, before pointing at the door.

"That could be any one that's left Danix, if one of us are to get home, then we have to take out the competition. We can only do that by killing. It's a hard life, but we have no choice," Laelia argues in the same hushed tone.

"I'm _not, _killing," I say with somewhat of a growl. We stare at each other for a couple of seconds, before Laelia sighs and looks towards the entrance.

"Fine, don't kill. But if you have no choice, then you must Danix, promise me," she says, gripping my arm tightly.

"I promise," I say to her, placing a hand over my heart. She doesn't say anything else as she lets go of me and begins to make her way to the entrance.

"Can you walk properly?" I ask. Laelia bites her lip and nods, looking at me with pained eyes.

"I can do it myself now, it just hurts a little," she replies.

"Are you positive?" I ask sounding unsure. She purses her lips and looks at me.

"Yes Danix, I'm fine," she responds, rolling her eyes. She proves this by walking towards the cave entrance, only limping slightly. I take a deep breath and follow her. If she says so, she must be fine.

I meet her at the cave entrance, the two of us peering out and scanning the area. It's dark outside, night having just began to fall. The only reason anything is visible is due to the fire illuminating the immediate area, as well as the ground being pure white snow. I hold my hand up to stop Laelia, giving her a shake of my head before I step forward slightly to school the outside. I poke my head out, glancing both left and right. The cold hits my face, stinging it after the incredulous heat has kept us so warm for these past two days. I let out as little breath as I can, fearing I may be too loud, yet what breath that does escape my mouth is a foggy white steam cloud.

Despite the despicable cold, my body sweats heavily with nerves, so much I may drown myself in it. I can find nothing else to do to soothe my nerves aside from squeezing my spear as much as I can.

Although I act like this nervous wreck I have seen my whole life, there is nobody that I can actually see. So why am I so nervous? Do I sense that something isn't right? Do I worry that I'll just drop dead in an instant? I squint to see further in the darkness, just to make sure, even though the noise we heard was much closer than it would have sounded at that distance. We have to explore further.

"Laelia, get ready," I whisper solemnly, as I look back at her content green eyes. She bites her lip and nods, holding up her axe in preparation. I lightly step forward, my body entirely leaving the warmth of the cave, and the cold completely enveloping it. I spin around, holding out my spear in a defensive stance. I now see the sides of the boulders, all looking relatively bare from people. Laelia bounds out to follow me, holding up her axe with two cold white hands. We stand back to back, looking out for each other's blind spots and keeping a watchful eye on potential attackers.

"Look," Laelia gasps, pointing at something at the sides of the boulders. I slowly edge my way towards it, looking down, kneeling beside it, and examining it.

"Footprints," I mumble, looking at Laelia with fear.

"And freshly made." Laelia's eyes widen, her body trembling slightly from perhaps a combination of cold and terror.

"How big?" she asks, sounding shaky and fearful. My mouth slants diagonal when I look back at the foot prints.

"Fairly large," I say flatly. I stand myself up and back away to reach Laelia's position.

"Where did they go?" Laelia asks cautiously.

"I'm not sure, the foot prints just stopped. Maybe they somehow backtracked and ran away into that direction," I suggest, pointing towards the vast mountain tundra opposite that of the boulders. Laelia turns that way too, eyes scanning the area and mouth frowning.

"Perhaps," she squeaks, voice timid and uncertain.

"That's where you are wrong."

There is no hesitation in both Laelia and I spinning around in an instant. The two of us hold up our weapons, at the figure that stands on top of our cave. My mouth drops in horror when I come to recognize the figure. There is only one person who is that big.

Fletcher drops down onto the snow, landing on one knee and looking down at the ground. He perks his head up at us, standing side by side in terror, causing him to smirk and lift himself up.

"You know, if you really wanted me to not know of every move you were making, you should probably be a little quieter," he says shaking his head. After saying this, he pulls out a truly horrific sword, one so big that it matches my spear in length, one that glints white with the reflection of the moon, only that parts that aren't covered in blood that is. Blood. Blood that coats most of the sword. He has not only killed Ancora, but he also either killed Dana or Naomi.

I must look utterly gaunt at the introduction to his sword, because he sees me gawking at it and flings it around playfully.

"Oh you like it? I named it Life Devourer, because you know, it devours lives," he says with a humorous smirk implanted on his face.

"W-who, did that kill?" Laelia stutters, sounding completely mortified.

"Naomi, the little bitch jumped in the way when I was about to kill Cassia. No matter, I'm on my way to kill her anyways, and look who I have stumbled into along the way!" he gestures to us, appearing satisfied.

"Please Fletcher, there has got to be some other way, just let us go and we won't get in your way," I plead calmly, despite my shaking body and frozen stature.

"Well it seems you have already gotten in my way already, and we weren't put in this arena to allow each other to escape, the Capitol wants death so I am willing to give it to them," he says smiling sinisterly. He takes a couple of slow steps forward, continuing to play with Life Devourer and examining it with a smile.

"I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not." There is a moment when he stops walking, looking up from the sword for a split second. That is before he begins to charge forward. He raises Life Devourer high up above his head, heading straight toward me. I panic, pushing Laelia out of the way, before holding my spear with two hands, and holding it sideways to black Life Devourer.

I cry out in shock at the force the sword hits my spear with, causing my body to jolt and stumble back. It takes all my strength to keep the spear up, blocking the sword from striking my body. The spear manages to retain its form, not breaking in two like I would have guessed it to. I feel a slight amount of relief when I feel the force being lifted, when Life Devourer is raised away from the spear. I stumble forward a couple of feet with the amount of force my body had been pressing that way, while Fletcher takes a step back and regains his composure.

This time Laelia charges forward, bringing her axe to the side of her head. She swings it towards Fletcher, with it looking like it's going to hit its target. However, before it makes contact with Fletcher's flesh, he grabs it by the top of the handle, stopping it mid in its tracks. Laelia's eyes go wide when she realises what just happened, yet she doesn't see it happening, she doesn't see Life Devourer coming down upon her, ready to devour her life.

"No!" I cry out as I thrust my spear above Laelia, once again blocking Fletcher's sword. This time it is a lot harder to stop, with it being immensely more unstable than previously. After a couple of shaky seconds, with me barely keeping the sword away from her, Fletcher grunts in annoyance.

I look at his cold, evil eyes, to see them furious and frustrated, narrowed in a mode of complete focus. He looks at me for a brief moment, before he does something new. He takes the sword away from the spear fast, causing the spear to fling upwards with the energy I was using to keep it forced against the sword. While it is up, Fletcher grabs the end of Laelia's axe, grabbing it so hard that I can see it dig into his left hand. Blood begins to immediately drip from the axe, as he rips it out of her hands and thrusts it aside.

After this he smacks her across the face, with the back of his injured hand, throwing her like a rag doll to land right next to her axe. I cannot pay too much attention to Laelia though, as Fletcher begins to attack once again. This time he tries to slice into my side with Life Devourer, except I manage to jump out of the way just in time.

He swings again, this time higher around my neck. I duck this one, stumbling back a bit when I try to regain my footing. As he readies himself for another swing, my mind is a blur of thoughts, all hitting me hard like a train. One sticks out to me more than anything, even over the 'I'm going to die' thoughts. I have to kill him. I have no choice. There is no getting out of this unless I make my move and actually kill Fletcher. I promised Laelia, and I need to keep my promise.

I have to throw my spear at the right time. I know how to do this, I've killed many fish before by both spear and trident. It can't be any different to killing a shark, a big shark that is currently trying to kill me. No different. No different. No different!

When Fletcher swings his sword again and misses, I ready myself to throw the spear. When the sword is at the furthest point away from Fletcher's front, I launch it forward. It hits him. It draws blood. However, it doesn't hit fatally. The spear tears into his right upper arm, ripping into the flesh and sticking into it.

Fletcher stops for a moment, taking the time to look at his arm and acknowledge that I just stuck him with a spear. He wraps his fingers around it with his injured left hand, before prying it out, grabbing right next to the spear head. Once he has done this, he looks at me. He looks at me with death being fired from his eyes, hitting every orifice of my body. My completely defenseless body, with currently no weapon to protect itself.

I feel a blinding pain smack into the side of my face, causing me to see stars. Fletcher smacking the end of the spear across my face, causes me to have my body thrust around in recoil. My hands instantly raise to my face, finding the spot that the spear slapped. I open my eyes and see a different scene now. One with Laelia feebly picking herself up, axe lowered by her side as she kneels in the process of standing up.

This means two things to me. The first is that Laelia is hurt, and currently looking my way with terror. The second is, that I am now facing the opposite way of Fletcher, and my back is completely exposed. That's when it happens.

A stinging pain protrudes in my back, before a sharp object ruptures through my lungs and erupts from my chest. I am in complete shock, my arms lowered by my sword and my knees bent from a lack of energy. I stare down at the long bloody sword, protruding from my chest, and then at the spilled crimson, that stains the fluffy white snow.

I look up, my eyes meeting Laelia's, nothing that her mouth is gaping in horror, her eyes watering and tears already leaking from them. I try to say something, anything, but all I do is cough up blood. The blood spurts out of my mouth, landing in both the snow and also dripping down towards the sword impaling through my chest.

I look at Laelia with sorrowful eyes, now that are watering themselves. I continue to do cough blood, as I try to speak to her.

_Go. _

I try to tell her that, I try to somehow contact her with this last word. I don't want her to see me like this, she needs to get away while she can. She doesn't. Instead, she stands there sobbing, eyes flooding with tears as her shoulders hunch forward.

I feel my body get pushed off the sword, causing me to fall into the cold snow, and into my own blood. The snow is so cold, everything is so cold. I have no energy to do anything, to even try to move. The only thing I move, is my head so that I can look up at Laelia. It doesn't matter.

Fletcher flips my body around, so that now he is all that I can see. His hulking figure, his evil sinister eyes, his victorious smirk. All of this is what I see, and it is the last thing I see. Fletcher presses his thumbs against my eyes, causing me to cough up more blood as I try to scream in pain. Laelia does it for me though, I can hear her distant, and echoed scream as Fletcher's thumbs sink into my eyes. I feel his thumbs where my eyes are meant to be. It is so painful, but I cannot do anything about it.

My head begins to feel constricted, as Fletcher increases the pressure of his hands. It happens for a few seconds, until suddenly, I feel my brain shut down. I feel my face split open, and my head combust. Now all that can be heard, is Laelia's shrill scream, and the distant boom of a cannon as my consciousness and life fades away.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I bet none of you expected that. What I mean by that, is Danix dying. Holy hell that may have been one of the hardest deaths I've had to write so far, yet I enjoyed every moment of it! I don't know, ideas kept coming, and it was just really long and drawn out. So yes, the fourth death of the games graces us, and it was the first death of a male tribute.**

**On the other hand, what do you think about Liesel joining Vince and Phionex? Expected? Unexpected? Like usual I would love to hear your thoughts on the chapter! So it's been about a week since I last updated, but you can start expecting that for now. I am also adding the time of each POV, as you would have seen while reading (we are up to Day 4 next chapter), and I will also be adding to the bottom a list of the current alliances, as well as tributes with kills and the amount they have killed. I also made a new forum! I put all the tributes in the cover image, so hopefully you can press on it and see them, otherwise I don't know what else I can do, but yeah new forum on my profile. Anyways, the next chapter name will be on my profile, and I will move onto the Eulogy!**

**-Ares**

* * *

**Eulogy-**

**Danix: **Your death was really unexpected, and I hated to do it. From the very beginning, you never stood out much, not to me, and not to the readers. I just really wanted to develop your character, and make you into a very prominent tribute, but as I have learned over this story, it is very hard to do that for every one, and you were one of them. I like Danix, he was a tribute with a different mentality, and a tragic backstory. It's just, you were too perfect to kill off. I really wanted to develop you more, but your death kind of leads on to a whole other storyline. As Tom said many times, yes, the mind set of not killing will not get you very far in the games. That wasn't on your form to begin with, but I added that on to add something extra to your character. That wasn't the reason I killed you off though, it only contributed logic to your death. I can happily say your death was inspired by a certain Dornishman's death from Game of Thrones, and have fun in the afterlife, you paid your service well!

* * *

_Remaining Districts:_

District 1

District 2

District 3

District 4

District 5

District 6

District 7

District 8

District 9

District 10

District 11

District 12

* * *

_Remaining Tributes:_

Haim Peridot - District 1?

Theia Cartelle - District 1

Nero Koeing - District 2

Ladonna Gully - District 2

Dayta Owens - District 3

Liesel Varner - District 3

Rhode Nerida - District 4

Minho Lyun - District 5

Laelia Webber - District 5

Aramid Vicuna - District 6

Hera Loughbrook - District 6

Atlas Verdini - District 7

Phionex Blast - District 7

Rexx Kerdom - District 8

Libra Spindle - District 8

Fletcher Wilds - District 9

Vince Rojarze - District 10

Cassia Summers - District 10

Quinn Holland - District 11

Whent Lush - District 12

* * *

_Alliances:_

**United Pack 1: Rexx D8, Libra D8, Hera D6**

**United Pack 2: Vince D10, Phionex D7, Liesel D3**

**Terrific Trio: Ladonna D2, Cassia D10, Whent D12**

**Loners:**

**Theia D1**

**Haim D1?**

**Nero D2**

**Dayta D3**

**Rhode D4**

**Fletcher D9**

**Quinn D11**

**?:**

**Haim D1?**

**Minho D5**

**Aramid D6**

**Atlas D7**

* * *

_Killers:_

**Fletcher Wilds- **3

**Theia Cartelle- **1(2?)


	37. Broken Alliances

_Day 4: Early Morning_

* * *

**Atlas Verdini, 18, D7:**

My feet thud the ground, carrying me at a fast pace. I feel my arms swing side by side, and my heart thump through my chest as I sprint as fast as I can. A few feet ahead of me, doing the same, I can see the outline of Minho doing a hard sprint, evading the trees and not appearing to tire.

I can also hear the same behind me, with Aramid panting hard as he strives to keep up with us, which he isn't doing too bad of a job at. He did state earlier that running isn't his forte. The question is, why are we running exactly? Well, about five minutes ago, a cannon boomed. We had been searching, searching day in and day out, just to try and find the rest of our alliance. After the storm occurred in the middle island, we had clearly been incredibly separated from each other.

We believe we may have gotten close to them after a day or two of searching, because yesterday morning, an incredibly loud and powerful wind swept over our area, pushing us back and forcing us to back track. So we may have been close, and the Gamemakers may have purposefully led us in another direction, or perhaps I should say forced.

We ended up on the forest island, particularly in a very dense and compacted area. I cannot see the sky above as the trees manage to block out any view of the eerily blue and ominous night sky. In fact this is the reason we are running. Due to the cannon firing, we now know that someone else has died, potentially even more could have been masked by the winds earlier. We can hear the Capitol Anthem playing, yet we cannot see the projection in the sky, so we desperately search for a clearing that we can see it in, before it disappears.

"Over here," I hear Minho call out in a hurry. I spot him illuminated by the moon and projection above, in presumably a clearing of the canopy of trees. I give one last sprint over to him, slowing down when I reach the area and looking up in an instant. I look up silently as Aramid reaches us as well, panting with fatigue and wearily looking up at the sky.

We needed to know if the cannon belonged to an ally of ours. We now know, and luckily it doesn't. I'm not sure how to feel when my eyes rest upon the face of Danix, sea green eyes shy and nervous just as he had been in the Capitol. In all honesty, I don't feel remorse, or that much emotion at all. He was just another victim, of the burden that has been placed on all of us.

I had never spoken to Danix, nor had I ever really noticed him. All that I know, is that he was allied with Laelia. My eyes flash to Minho, scanning him to see if he has realized that Laelia might have been a cannon that boomed when the winds were occurring. He stares at the projection, eyes hard and solemn. The projection itself changes from Danix's face, to once again the Capitol Seal, as the rest of the anthem begins to play out.

I expect Minho to let out some sort of relieving breath, or just some sort of acknowledgment that Laelia, his own District partner, is still alive. However he says something completely different.

"I think there was someone else that died, we just missed out on seeing them though," he says with a grunt. I don't really take note of what he says after this, instead I sigh in relief, sinking to the ground on my knees. My mind had been panicking for the last five minutes, my insides eating themselves up in anguish. This is because, the single thought that the cannon belonged to Libra, hit me hard in the chest.

I have not rested these past three days, I have searched endlessly for them, for her, but there has been no indication to where they are. I don't even know who is with who. The missing ones, Libra of course, Rexx, Hera, Vince, and my closest friend here, Phionex. Two of the people I care most for in this arena, I have been separated from.

_It's better than them being dead, _I think to myself. That may be true, but who knows if I'll ever find them before their death becomes a reality. Libra could be all alone for all I know, surrounded by tributes such as Fletcher. . . or Haim.

I grit my teeth at the thought of Haim. I should have killed him at the beginning, or the bloodbath as we have been calling it. I should have just finished him off, the opportunity was there. I didn't take it though. Why? Why was I so hesitant? That wouldn't have been the first time I've killed, that would have prevented the possibility of him being able to get near Libra, so why?

At the time, I didn't know that we were about to be separated. How was I meant to know? I feel like punching the floor in anger, at the thought that Libra could be in the hands of Haim right now, he could be doing anything to her, violating her, ravaging her, raping her. It's like my brain freezes, the horrific thought consuming it, the whole idea that Libra could be in trouble. I feel the chill run down my spine, my muscles tense and my body shake.

Calm down, calm down Atlas, Libra is fine, she is probably with some of the others. She'll be fine. She'll be fine. . . But will she? The image, the memory, of that night, the night that had shaped the rest of my life, comes flowing back to me. My mother, lying raped and stabbed on the floor of her own bedroom, struggling to stay alive, naked and violated, the tears in her eyes, trickling down her cheeks. All because I wasn't there to protect her. Despite my father's presence, they still both perished. If I had been there, it may have turned out differently, but I wasn't. The worst part about it, is now, I am not with Libra.

I expect tears to come, for my body to heave with emotions, to collapse to the ground to wallow in my own pity. None of that happens though, my common sense comes through. A coldness sweeps over my body, some determined type of will power. Just like before, the tenseness, the anger, but now it is accompanied by determination. My eyes flit to Minho and Aramid as I rise to my feet. Both of them appear to be worn, fatigued, restless, perhaps hoping to set up camp for a while.

That isn't happening. Not while I am surged with this sheer determination.

"We are finding them," I instruct. I half predict them to groan and whine, begging me to rest and take a break from searching for one night. Aramid however, stands right up looking attentive.

"I want to find Hera, let's go," he says bluntly, not doing so much as looking at me. Minho is more reluctant, groaning as he pushes himself up and stretching his back.

"Perhaps we should actually try to search another island, we have searched so much of the forest island and to no avail," Minho points out.

"I was confident Phionex would be here, I thought she would go to the island of trees, and I think she would know me to do the same, yet we cannot find any of them," I say glumly.

"So we move to another island," Aramid says perplexed, rolling his eyes and looking around the clearing.

"Which one?" Minho asks.

"Perhaps the rock island?" I suggest.

"I'm kind of skeptical of that one, I didn't really see anyone go that way," Aramid says sounding unsure.

"Exactly why some of them might have gone there," I try to rationalize. Aramid however just twists his mouth in disagreement and shakes his head. I feel a slight annoyance twinge in my mind, making me grit my teeth and clench my fists. I swear he is just doing this to be difficult, to annoy me even. Why though? Why is it necessary?

"Fine Aramid, where do you suggest we go?" I say folding my arms. He looks at me, somewhat smirking and cocking his head a little to the side.

"The tundra island."

"No," I say immediately, shaking my head and raising my hands up.

"Why not?" he asks angrily.

"Why?" I shoot back.

"That place is going to be bitterly cold, ten times more than right here, so why in the world would they head in that direction?" I say in bewilderment.

"I just know they did okay, I just have a strong feeling," he says defensively.

"Well you can dream Aramid, but we aren't going to the tundra island," I say firmly.

"They'll be there!" he cries out in an urgency. I shake my head and look at Minho.

"Your decision Minho, rock island or tundra island?" I say, with the two of us turning to face him. It doesn't take even a second for him to answer.

"Are you kidding me? Fuck going to a freezing ass tundra, rock island it is," he says as if we were crazy. I turn back to Aramid, who stands with his eyes firmly shut, breathing deeply through his nose.

"Majority rules, rock island," I say victoriously. He opens his eyes, looking at me with dark anger. His jaw is shut tightly, and his eyes are narrowed with fury. For a second, I feel like he is about to attack me. However, he shakes his head, turning on his heel and storming off, muttering curses underneath his breath.

"Why was he so content on going to the tundra?" I wonder aloud, as Minho steps beside me.

"Who knows, maybe he knows something that we don't?" Minho guesses, shrugging his shoulders.

"Should we even trust him?" I ask. Minho snorts, once again shrugging his shoulders and glancing at me.

"Well no offence to you, but I try to not trust anyone anyways," he says with a grin, slapping my shoulder before walking off after Aramid. I bite my lip, looking down with a troubled expression. I want to be able to trust Aramid, hell, I want to be able to trust everyone in our alliance. I just cannot help but feel however, that Aramid has been kind of. . . on edge.

I decide to shake it off, noting that there really is no point in an alliance if there is no trust. Yet at the back of my mind, I know I barely trust everyone as well. Just like Minho, I cannot help but feel cautious, skeptical, uneasy about the stability of the alliance. Despite our separation, we were very strong, and very much unified, just as our name suggests. The United. But how can we even call ourselves that when we aren't even with each other, yet alone with us not even trusting the own members of our alliance? Not only that, but who is to say they won't turn while in an arena full of people trying to kill us.

In all honesty, I only really trust two people. Libra, and Phionex, the two people of which that I am not with. I need to cast away these views, this discomfort. I'm sure Aramid is fine, he is just as much of a rebel as all of us. He may have a little anger issue, but I highly doubt that he would even consider killing me. I get the sense that he even wanted to be like me, somewhat. Well at least I used to, I'm not so sure about that notion anymore.

"Atlas hurry the fuck up!" Minho calls from ahead of me. I blink and grip my axe tightly, striding forward to follow the other two. Right now we are on the forest island, and in between this island and the rock island, is the mountain. It's a long trek, but I just know it will be worth it. I will finally be able to see Libra again. I smile at the thought of Libra, no longer clouded by thoughts of her being consumed by rape and violation, but this time, happier memories of her.

That first trip in the elevator, when I had first met her. The way she shyly had complimented my costume, and the way her snowy white cheeks had flushed furiously with a peachy pink. The way her staggering blue, almost purple eyes had sparkled with delight as she talked to me all those times at training, whether it had been about her life back in District 8, or the clothing passion she held dear to her heart, as her true sense of self.

I chuckle to myself stupidly, feeling myself blush a little. Am I embarrassed? Of course not. Nobody else knows these thoughts, only me and myself. Yet I find it in me to desire telling Libra this. I want to tell her how I feel, how she makes me feel. I've never felt like this before, as corny as it sounds. I've always been too focused on fighting, and war, I've never found the time to truly focus on a subject like this.

Until now, in the least likely scenario, I have found someone that I feel completes me, someone that I want to hold dear to my heart, to feel their warmth wrapped up in my arms. Do I dare to go as far as to say that. . . I'm in love? All of me screams yes, my mind especially, as if it had been waiting for this moment ever since I first laid my eyes upon her.

It fills me with a sense of longing, a desire, perhaps even a lust, just to find Libra, to tell her how I feel, to express how much she means to me, to make sure that she leaves this arena safely. It is this thought that reality finally dawns on me. It hits me hard, and it wells up in my chest. I came here thinking I would defy the Capitol, that it was my purpose, my responsibility to do that. But it's not, my hate for the Capitol didn't bring me here, as I found out during interviews. I had no clue anymore as to why I was. Until now.

Fate brought me here. Fate brought me to meet Libra, to protect her, to love her, to ensure her happy life. I had no point to live anymore, my parents and my best friend both having passed. So fate had other means for me. It gave me someone to care about, and it gave me someone to succeed in protecting. My goal, is to save Libra's life.

My passion to find her fuels my body once again, but this time it is stronger. I feel empowered, determined, driven, to find my last purpose for living. It is my mission to find Libra now, and nothing else matters.

I glance down at my axe, shiny gold coating the blade, whilst the hilt is decked in a vibrant purple velvet. The purple, it reminds me of Libra once again, it is Libra's colour. District 8, her hood, her interview outfit, her almost purple eyes, purple represents all of it. Now, it represents this axe as well. I have heard of people naming their weapons, many times over. Even though Libra isn't with me now, she will be in the form of this axe. Libra is a zodiac sign, the sign given to certain people born in that time of the year. I know what I will name this axe now, with my own small way of knowing how Libra is connected.

The name of this axe shall be. . . _October's Song._

* * *

_Day 4: Morning_

* * *

**Laelia Webber, 18, D5:**

I wince as the branch slaps at my face, whipping me with a sting. My leg feels like it's on the verge of collapsing, as does my ego. My mind and my emotions feel like they have experienced a super nova, as I sob heavily whilst stumbling through the forest of the mountain.

The place where the branch whipped me now throbs in pain, as that is the tender spot where Fletcher had recently struck me. On the topic of Fletcher, I now frantically and clumsily try to escape him. The events come flooding back all too severely. Danix had been impaled by Fletcher's 'Life Devourer', his body going rather limp as he began to cough up blood. He had been shoved to the ground, flipped around, and his head crushed in and combusted by Fletcher's bare hands.

A scream had been piercing the night sky, as I watched Fletcher kneeling over Danix's headless body, breathing heavily and looking maniacal. He had taken one look at me, before I fumbled for my axe and sprinted off. I was delusional, distraught, and if I hadn't bounded into a dense brush of forest, I would have undoubtedly been fucked. Fletcher would have caught up to me, and impaled Life Devourer through my back as well.

As for now, he struggles to find me. I can hear him lumbering around, searching for me and failing to do so, yet still managing to stay hot on my trail. He roars in anger for losing me, cursing and rambling on about all types of nonsense, but I don't pay attention to what he says. I instead frantically bolt forward, avoiding trees and trying to wipe the tears from my eyes.

They had flowed hard, especially when the death recaps were shown, showing God knows who. I only paid attention to Danix. His face smiled nervously down at me from above, while in reality there is no more mouth to smile, no more eyes to stare, no more face to utilize.

I fear Fletcher is getting too close, I know he is hot on my trail. Some little part of me pictures him to be a wild animal, who can sniff me out from a mile away and desires to tear me apart as soon as he can lay his hands on me. At least one of those are true, unfortunately the latter.

If I don't find a way to disguise myself soon, Fletcher will find me, without a doubt. I stop for a moment, my leg rippling with relief as I desperately scan the area for a place to hide. I need a place that can fit me, and completely conceal me, one that I can see Fletcher coming from. I hear his thundering thuds that are the steps he takes drawing ever so close, which gives me the slightest fraction of time to escape the area.

I dive into a bush, one with a slight gap that is tight but manages to fit me. I regret it in an instant, my eyes widening and watering up, my jaw gritted and aching to scream in agony. The bush I have jumped into, is full of thorns that are as sharp as Theia's daggers, with the current light levels being much too dark to see them.

I bite my tongue and squeeze my eyelids shut, holding in the scream that threatens to pierce the night. It's good that I do this, lucky in fact, as Fletcher strides into the area a moment later. I cover my mouth to not only extinguish any urge for screaming, but to also mask my heavy breathing. I watch Fletcher with frightened eyes, shaking as I look at his large figure.

His eyes are wide and enraged, a snarl protruded on his face, which is completely covered in blood. He breathes heavily, looking around with suspicion at the small clearing we have found. His right hand is red with blood and coated with other forms of matter such as brain and flesh. His left hand drips the crimson liquid excessively, and I can even see from here that a large ragged gash has been sliced across his hand.

I think for a second he may have done this while looking for me, until I remember when he grabbed my axe and squeezed the head hard, causing a gash to become emitted on his hand. I glance at my axe, seeing the shiny red blood painted on the sharp end of the blade. Good.

Fletcher also has a wound on his upper right arm, from where Danix had hit him with the spear. It doesn't appear to be too significant in damage unfortunately, as it doesn't even look like it hit near bone. If only Danix had been more accurate, if only.

If only I wasn't stuck in a thorny bush, with an injured leg, a demanding uproar of devastation threatening to surface, and trapped in here by a psychopath that just killed my ally and is currently looking for me to kill next.

He appears to calm down a bit, breathing deeply as he looks around the clearing with barbaric eyes. His eyes remain this way when he allows a smile to creep onto his face, as he stumbles in circles around the clearing. My eyebrows furrow as I watch him in question, noticing just how much he already may have lost his sanity. That shouldn't be a surprise though, I don't even think he ever did have any form of sanity, he was just good at hiding it.

His hand grabs the hilt of Life Devourer, which is already tucked away in a large sheath on his back. He pulls it out, still spinning around aimlessly as he causes the sharp metallic noise to pierce the air, as he slides the crimson coated blade out into his grip.

"I know you're somewhere here," he says in a disturbingly high tone of voice, as if he was taking the whole thing as one big joke.

"What was your name again? Libra? No, no that was. . . the Eight girl right? The pretty one that everyone wants to fuck? Yeah that's right, and you, you were Laelia," he utters with mild amusement.

"Yeah, Laelia, that one with the insanely strong hair. You know what? I'll cut you a deal. Come out, and I'll make sure to scalp you _after _I've killed you," he says as if it was a reasonable offer. He steps really close to my bush, causing me to squint my eyes to prevent the tears from escaping.

_No, please step away, please._

"Or even better, you come out now, and I'll make it quick," he says softly, literally standing right outside of the bush. He waits for a reply, a reply he isn't going to get. When I don't respond, he turns to face the bush. I feel my heart trying to escape my chest, and my body becomes slippery with a new layer of sweat. I pray he cannot hear my heart beat, in fact, I am almost confident that he can.

"If you make me seek you out myself, it's going to be a _long _process of killing you," he growls deeply. Why does he expect me to conform to these demands? To willingly give myself up just so I can die quicker? I have to live on, I have to beat him, for Danix. Fletcher starts to become more distressed and enraged, now striding away from the bush and swinging his sword at random stationary objects.

"Laelia you little slut, I've got a whore from District 10 to be hunting, I don't have time for your bullshit," he bellows loudly to the sky above. Normally, with any other person, I would be extremely angry with being referred to as a 'little slut', but this isn't a normal circumstance. Instead, I watch in fear as Fletcher wanders around the clearing impatiently, muttering things underneath his breath. There is nothing I can do! I physically cannot move without the bush rustling and giving away my position!

"I'm getting restless Laelia, I want to add to my collection you know," he speaks out to the general area, hoping I'll pick up on it. Collection of what? Kills? Apparently not, because directly after saying this, he pulls out his 'collection'.

I grimace in repulsion at what his collection is. It's not sadistic and disgusting as if it was ears or hands, but the story behind each one is repulsive in itself. He holds out three hoods, one for each person he has killed. There is one that is charred slightly and discoloured with ash, now being a murky yellow that once belonged to Ancora. I'm surprised it still exists in all honesty, that it hadn't withered away in the explosion. He must have retrieved it during the chaos at the start.

The second hood is pretty much clean of blood, which I hope is due to a quick and clean death for the owner of the pink hood, Naomi. The only blood that is actually on it, comes from the plentiful amount of blood on the icy blue coloured hood, the one that once belonged to Danix. I am tempted to vomit when my eyes rest upon the light blue hood, the memory of Danix's gruesome death flooding back to me in almost no time at all.

Blood, bone, brains, splattered everywhere by Fletcher's crushing hands. I furiously shake my head, trying to thrust the memory from my mind, until I remember just what position I am currently in. I stop, with wide eyes and a mortified expression. Did I just make noise? Please don't tell me I made noise. My vision graces Fletcher once again, who stuffs the hoods back into his pockets. He doesn't seem to have heard anything, or _noticed_ anything for that matter, as he continues to appear more frustrated.

He stops moving, standing still and staring somewhere around the area of the bush. Did I speak to soon?

"I'm just going to have to start hacking at things Laelia, and it isn't going to be fun when I find you," he snarls. I silently gasp when he begins to trudge over to my bush, with Life Devourer being dragged along the ground behind him. This is it, this is how I am going to die, he is going to find me, and slice his sword through my abdomen, and make the rest of my death slow and painful, just as he described.

There is no denying that Fletcher is coming towards me, his eyes stare at the bush as if they were transfixed, it almost feels like his glare is aimed directly at me, as if he knows, as if he had known the whole time. He ends up being a couple of feet away, before he stops standing tall over the bush. I have no time to react, no time to cry out, all I can do is watch the blade become lifted in the air. High above his head, I see the white glint of the shining moon hit the metal, causing me to shut my eyes, and prepare for Life Devourer to take my soul.

I hear the grunt of Fletcher, as he presumably swings his sword with strong momentum. I can even hear the swish of the blade tearing through the morning air as it sails towards the bush. What I expect to hear next is the rupture of leaves, and the thud of the sword burying itself into my chest, what I expect to feel is unbearable pain that would be coursing throughout all my veins, yet none of this is what I experience. It never comes, which leads me to slightly open my eyes.

Fletcher looks alert, with wide and savage eyes that have snapped to look in a direction to his right, which would be leading downwards to the base of the mountain. The sword rests in the air, mere inches away from the bush, meaning my death was only a few inches away.

My body still remains tense as he slowly raises his sword to the other side of his body, as he turns to face the direction he had just been staring. It's almost too good to be true, it's as if my prayers were answered, since Fletcher begins to trudge towards that direction instead. Why? I don't care, as long as he is leaving me.

He eventually leaves my field of view, making me slightly uneasy since I cannot keep tabs on where his current location is, but I can still hear, and I hear his heavy footsteps sound further and further away, until I cannot hear them any longer.

The realization does not quite hit me, that he has disappeared, fled, left me to be. I don't even understand why. All of me wants to believe, yet I just cannot believe it. I'm far too shaken up, too traumatized from what I have just experienced. I want so much to leave this place, to escape all of what has just happened. But I am too fearful, full of such fright that I have never experienced before. I thought I was hardened, I thought I saw the worst of humanity in District 5, considered the lowest of the low by every other place in Panem, in terms of violence and disregard for human life.

However, this. . . nothing I've seen in Five compares to this. . . Therefore, I have never been so mentally unprepared for something like this. I have never lost a friend in such a gruesome manner, I have never had one snatched from life like that, so suddenly and so cruelly, and nor have I ever had someone so psychotic, so inhumane, so. . . evil. . . literally seek me out to end my life.

All of this horror comes crashing down upon me in a matter of seconds, after the fact that Fletcher has gone fully hits me. I let it all out, my sorrow, my agony, my pain, my rage, but most importantly, I let out myself. I lose myself in a whirling wind of tears and woes, I cry and sob to myself for all that I have endured in the span of four days. I cry for my wounds, I cry for the innocent ones that have died, and I especially cry for Danix.

I literally feel all sense of innocence, all my humor, my rocky but still existent friendliness, drain from my body, leaving me as an empty shell of a damaged and destroyed young girl. I am no longer myself, all that is good has been torn from me, my whole life has come crumbling down, all that made me worth, leaving me with the shambles of human emotion, the unwanted, the disregarded.

Why did I have to be subjected to these games? These games, that the Capitol are watching, and enjoying. . . and celebrating. Suddenly, through the endless sorrow and depression that plagues my body, a red hot burning spire pierces through. It's like a beam, that lights up darkness and dullness, not with hope and opportunity however, no not at all, but with a harsh and invigorating rage. I am soon filled with it, as if I have cried all I can, and now I only have room for this rage that eats me up. I am one to get angry really easy, but this, this is something entirely new.

It almost feels like it makes my body convulse, it fills me up, it drives me, with a burning passion. I feel my pupils dilate, as this boiling anger reaches my head, surging through my veins and energizing my emerald green eyes.

That's when I open my eyes.

* * *

_Day 4: Afternoon_

* * *

**Whent Lush, 15, D12:**

I'm cold. For a number of reasons in all honesty, but all the same, I'm cold. I sit down on a log that Ladonna managed to haul over to our little campsite, wooden and splintery as can be, yet the closest thing to comfort we can find. A small but pathetic fire flickers directly in front of me, illuminating my face with orange rather than white from the pale snow that litters the area.

My obsidian sword lays rested across my lap, awaiting to be used to shed more blood than this arena has already seen, against its glistening jagged body. I hope it doesn't come to that, I don't want to have to shed more blood. I've already seen enough of that to last me a lifetime.

I look up slightly, seeing a view of my two allies, though they are barely allies at the moment. For starters, Ladonna sits on a pile of leaves that she has accumulated from the surrounding trees. That was two days ago. She has been sitting on that pile of leaves ever since, rocking back and forth with an expression of complete and utter despair implanted on her face.

Ladonna hasn't recovered at all since Naomi's death, to be honest, none of us have. But Ladonna, it's hit her harder than any of us other two. I cannot understand how she still has not gotten over it, like at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very upset with Naomi's death. I try not to think about it much, otherwise I begin to become too upset. I'm not going to lie, I had a little crush on Naomi. 'Little' may have been an understatement. I had a mad crush on Naomi. I thought she was simply beautiful. Funny, friendly, perfect. I used to get a fluttery feeling in my chest every time I made her laugh, every time I made her smile. I used to make up things just to impress her, childish things any boy would do to impress a girl.

Every time I saw those ruby red lips smile, I felt myself feel important. How unimportant that feels now. Now she is dead, and I'm still here with nothing left from our encounters except memories. Would I like to know if she felt the same way about me? In the Capitol I would have jumped at the opportunity, but now, I don't see it holding any sort of value, in other words, I couldn't care less. It just doesn't matter.

Not only do I find it strange that Ladonna is still appearing to mourn over Naomi after it happening four days ago now, but I find it strange that I am doing a better job than her, when I have not only lost one friend, but two. It kind of makes me angry, why does she deserve to be this upset, and to mourn over her this much, when I should be getting to do the same thing? I don't know, maybe it's just my inner immaturity coming out, getting angry at things I shouldn't, and stressing out over everything that's happened.

I want to run, I want to run so much, just like I did on the day of the reaping. I want to escape, and this time actually succeed in doing so. Pointless ambitions, that's what these types of thoughts are. There is no escape. Not from this arena, whether you win or you die, it'll stick around to haunt you for the rest of your life, a life that 23 others had to die for.

I feel my eyes burn, not from staring at the fire for too long, but due to the stinging tears that flood them. I'm so weak, I don't deserve to still be alive. Why am I still here, while others have perished? I shield my face from view with my hand, hoping there is no way of seeing me. I don't want to be crying in front of Panem, nor do I want to cry in front of my alliance. I should be trying to stay strong, and take on the role of leader. Neither of the two that remain with me are suitable for the role of leader, as Ladonna can barely function without bursting into tears, and Cassie is just. . . I don't even know.

The other night, I found Cassie in a clearing a minute or so away from our temporary base. She had wandered off, and god knows what could have happened to her if I hadn't found her. The thing is, ever since she has been walking off in the same daze she has been in for days now.

I wipe my eyes and sniff quietly to try not cause people to conclude that I am crying, before I look up to look at Cassie. At this point, we have had to tie her up to a tree, otherwise she just leaves. It's not exactly the nicest thing to do, but our options are limited. It's either tie her up to the tree so we know where she is, or let her wander off and lose her, or even worse, allow her to get killed.

She stares at me with glassy and unfocused eyes, her face completely monotone and rested. Is that a small smirk I see on her face?

"You're crying Whent Lush." I frown at her words, her dull and lifeless words that could put the liveliest person into an upset mood.

"No, no I'm not," I reply, trying to subtly wipe my nose. There is no fooling her, she had been watching me the whole time.

"Yes, you are. Have you finally accepted that we are all going to die?" Cassie says, voice plain and smooth like whenever she speaks. I look at her astounded, eyes widened in sadness. How could she say that?

"No, because we aren't!" I reply back in slight annoyance.

"You know that's not true Whent Lush. Only one person comes out alive of this arena, the odds of you making it out are far less than most others," she says with boredom. I bite my lip, letting what she said slip past my thoughts. However true that may be, I can't afford to think like that.

"Are you going to be the one that makes it out alive then?" I ask. She stares blankly at me, looking as if I hadn't asked her anything. Why doesn't she answer? I just don't understand. Cassie has become on and off, sometimes she doesn't respond at all, other times she says really creepy and estranged comments. I shake my head sadly when I know it's definite that she won't respond.

"What happened to you Cassie? You used to be so fun, you used to be social, like one of us, why has this happened? What happened to you to make this overcome your old self?" I cry out. She stares at me for a moment, causing me to think I won't get a response. It's the first time I have actually asked her just what the hell is going on with her, what is happening in her brain, so I don't expect to get an answer. Yet somehow, I do, a one word answer.

"Truth." The word is so sudden and dark, it sends a chill down my spine to accompany my freezing and shivering body.

"Truth? Truth? What is that supposed to mean? The truth of what?" I say daringly, hoping to get more out of her.

"Everything," she says softly. I'm taken aback, mostly from the lack of volume of the word. It's like she is afraid of saying the word, or the true meaning behind it.

A large gust of chilling wind causes goosebumps to rise on my skin. The cold is getting worse, as its becoming later in the day. The sun is beginning to go down, meaning the arena is becoming cooler. We are struggling, so, so badly. Cassie gets preference over the sleeping bag, I'm making sure of that.

"Come over here Ladonna, we need to get Cassie in the sleeping bag," I instruct, grabbing the sleeping bag and looking over at Ladonna. Ladonna stops rocking back and forth, a few sniffles are able to be heard from her concealed nose. Her blue and watery eyes flit over to me, glistening in the late afternoon light.

"Come on," I urge her on lightly, carefully you could say. Despite my anger at her prior, she is still my ally, and she is still my friend. It is a dire time, so I shouldn't be taking my anger out on her. She pushes herself up, revealing her red face and nose dripping with mucus. Not the most appealing sight, but after what I have just seen four days ago, mucus is a relieving sight.

We both step up to Cassie, with Ladonna grabbing ahold of her shoulders, while I untie the rope. This is what we have done every night, it's starting to become a repeated cycle. The rope falls around her ankles, landing on her sturdy boots. I hate having to tie Cassie up, I hate that we need to. It's not like we tie her completely against the tree, we tie it around her waist, and then around the tree as well, this gives her the ability to move around the area if she wants, which she often doesn't do.

Ladonna lifts her up as I place the sleeping bag down, causing her to place Cassie in the sleeping bag. We then lift the sleeping bag up until her body is enveloped by the warm cushiony material. We don't tie her up when she is in the sleeping bag though, we don't need to do this as it is much easier to monitor her trying to get out, which she hasn't done yet.

"Why do you continuously try to help me Whent Lush? You know it is completely pointless since we are all going to die?" Cassie asks. This is the third time she has asked me these questions as I have helped her out with the sleeping bag. I have never given her an answer other than because she is my ally, but she still never believes me.

"Because you are my ally, and my friend," I respond.

"Don't lie."

"I am telling you the truth."

"You know that's not true."

"It is Cassie, why wouldn't it be?"

"Because there is another reason."

"No th-"

"There is another reason." She repeats this rather forcefully, catching me by surprise. I finish with the sleeping bag and look at her. This time she stares at me intently, not with glassy and glazed over eyes, but with a knowing and amused stare. I sigh, looking down at the floor.

"Fine. Naomi died for you, her last wish was for you to survive, so I am making sure of that," I say firmly.

"That's not all," she says, staring at me. My stomach drops, a frown protruding on my face.

"Huh?" I ask dumbly, struck confused.

"You're doing it to fill the empty void in your chest, you're doing it to distract yourself from the deaths of Naomi Ennedes and Dana Woodman, you're doing it so you feel like their deaths were not in vain, and that they had meaning." I freeze, my body becoming colder than it currently is and my skin turning pure white. I feel a stabbing pain in my chest, a metaphorical one that hurts so much more than the real thing. My mouth is agape, closing like a fish out of water. I stutter, trying to get something out, trying to dismiss this allegation.

"W-why do you s-say that?" I splutter.

"You speak in your sleep Whent Lush, you've basically professed all of your thoughts and inner demons to me through that," she says eyeing me directly. I feel sick, a bubbling pit of guilt and remorse building up in my gut.

"N-no I wouldn't have, Dana. . . H-hated me," I say stumbling over my words.

"You tried to help Dana Woodman during the beginning, she refused, you saw her cry, you know she didn't want to kill you, and it kills you even more that this fact is true, since it hurts you so much more knowing that she wanted to join the alliance. You knew it killed her to have to turn you away, and the fact that you didn't convince her to join the alliance, resulting in her death, eats up your insides like a parasite." The words hit me like bullets, each one feeling like a paralyzing impact. I stumble back, trying to get away from Cassie, causing me to trip backwards over the log I had been sitting on.

I land without pain, with the shock still numbing any feeling in me. I glance beside me, my eyes landing on my obsidian sword, which I had rested against my log when I got up. I fumble for the hilt of the sword, grabbing the cool steel and frantically jumping to my feet. I am up, gripping my sword tightly when I look at Cassie. She stares intently at me, like a ventriloquist dummy. She scares me, frightens me, I can't be around her. There is only one thing to do.

I look at Ladonna with fearful eyes, before uttering a couple of words.

"Keep an eye on her." Ladonna opens her mouth to speak, before I turn around on the spot, and run. I run, just like I did at the Reaping, just like I had desired to not long ago.

"Whent, where are you going?!" Ladonna calls out in surprise. I don't reply, I just run. I run into the forest, tears escaping my eyes as I rush past the tall thing trees. Thoughts of Dana and Naomi plague my mind, as well as what Cassie said. She said it as it is, my sorrow, my guilt, all of it. Why did they have to die? It was my fault. I should have forced Dana to come with us, I should have pushed Cassie forward to Fletcher.

I grit my teeth as the steaming hot tears warm my frozen cheeks. Anger surges through my veins, at what should have been, what I could have done, what I should have done. I slash at the trees around me with the sword, cutting into wood and scraping bark off.

I stop in front of a tree, a tall grey slim one. I swing my sword into it hearing the thunk of the blade sinking into the wood. I pull it back only to do the same. I do it over and over, slashing the blade into the tree, swinging until I cannot anymore. I sob as my arm falls to my side, sword dangling by in the air. My body aches with effort, causing me to collapse to my knees, heaving tears with vivid sorrow.

I stab the sword into the ground, feeling all my care leave my body in an instant. What am I to do? How can I possibly replace Naomi as a leader?

How can I get through this?

* * *

_Day 4: Evening_

* * *

**Rexx Kerdom, 16, D8:**

"We need to decide on what we are doing." I mutter this with a shaking body, goosebumps littering my skin. A cold breeze has sprung upon us, hitting me with its icy touch as I shake with my arms wrapped around my body. It has become evening, with the sun going doing and making our area much colder than it already is.

It's been four days in this arena, four days spent in the Hunger Games, and four days spent in this frozen tundra. The only reason we are still here, is because I know that Libra and Hera will be safe here. Nobody is going to come here, therefore nobody will be around to harm them. The only problem besides the cold however, is the fact that we have been separated from the rest of our alliance. Judging by the size of this arena and the whole fact that we were split up from the start, I'm going to have to predict that it is highly unlikely that we will be seeing any of the others soon.

I glance over at Hera and Libra, both sitting on a fallen log that I had dragged over here. Compared to me, both Libra and Hera are exceptionally warm, especially Libra. We only had one sleeping bag that I had taken with me, which I gave to Libra. She was to have the sleeping bag no matter what. Tiffany, Hera's Escort, had also sent her a sleeping bag, which she snuggles into now as she stares deep into the crackling flames that illuminate our dark area.

Fury, both Libra and I's Escort, sent me a sleeping bag as well. As tempted as I was, I still refused to take it for myself. I forced Libra to take it as well as the one I already had, despite her protests, I made her put on the second layer of the sleeping bags. Now she could be warm as possible, and could not at all develop hypothermia or frostbite.

I've made it my pact, my mission, to get Libra as far through this game as possible. She has gotten too caught up in this, all for relatively nothing. All because of what other Districts have done. Now due to our alliances separation, it has become very evident that Libra is saddened. Over the past four days, she has sat staring into the fire, deep in her own thoughts. On the nights I could no longer stay up out of fatigue, and I could not watch over us, Libra had volunteered to take up the responsibility. During those times, I had woken up to find her crying softly, trying to stifle her sobs to keep from waking us up.

I haven't yet told her that I know this, and I likely won't, as I don't believe she even wants us to know. Instead, I have tried to comfort her, make sure she is okay. It's worn me beyond belief, taking care of us all, staying up to keep watch over the small alliance that we have. My eyes have deep purple bags beneath them, every time I have looked at the motionless and reflective lake nearby, I have seen my blood shot and sleepy blue eyes.

I can't do this for much longer, especially with my body shivering with the chilling bite of the air. My teeth chatter as I close my eyes, waiting for a response from one of the girls.

"What do you propose?" Hera asks. I bite my lip to stop my teeth from chattering, once again looking back up at her.

"I know you want to find Aramid, and I know you want to find Atlas," I say glancing at Libra, "but I think it's best if we wait here for a couple more days."

"No, Rexx, we can't," Hera proclaims weakly, looking at me with shiny blue eyes.

"We can fi-"

"It's not about Aramid," Hera interrupts. My eyebrows raise slightly in question.

"It isn't?" I ask.

"No Rexx, it's about you. I mean, look at you! You're putting yourself through this torturous weather, just to keep us safe," she says sounding concerned.

"It's working isn't it?" I say with a sigh, sounding rather bemused. Libra examines me with sympathetic eyes, bright indigo with hints of purple that sprouts through her iris. Her full and soft looking lips frown with concern, actually looking slightly blue with the cold. My eyes widen, and stand up stiffly from the cold.

"Libra, your face, is it cold?" I ask sounding distressed. She seems surprised by the question, as her mouth opens slightly as she blinks blankly.

"Uh, a little, it's okay though," she says softly. I take a couple of steps towards her, kneeling down in front of her so my face is level with her own. I reach my hand around the back of her neck, taking a hold of her hood. I lift it over her wavy coal black hair, so it can shield the breeze from her face. Her skin is pale as per usual, but there is much less colour in her normally pink and rosy cheeks.

She looks down at the snowy floor, before looking up at me sadly, captivating eyes staring directly at my own.

"Rexx, please," she says pleadingly, placing her warm hands on my freezing cheeks. She turns my head upwards, so that I am facing her more front on now.

"I appreciate what you are doing for me, but you need to take care of yourself as well," she begs. My body shakes with the cold, as I stare down at the floor feeling rather guilty.

"I-I need to make sure that, y-your oka-"

"Shhhh sh sh," she shushes me, cutting my words off and leaving them hanging in the air.

"Rexx, your freezing, your worn, you're not allowing yourself to rest," she says, lifting my head back up to face her.

"Just at least have one of the sleeping bags," she instructs.

"I can't do that," I mutter softly. She takes her hands off of my face, causing me to feel the cold on my cheeks once again. She shakes her head, unzipping the side of the outside sleeping bag. I stare at it, looking at the soft fabric that I wish can just envelop me, and so it does. Libra wraps it around my kneeling figure, and my eyes widen in ecstasy. Warmth, heat, oh how much I have missed it. I want so badly to give it back to her, to deny it, but I physically cannot. My weak state allows my heavy eyes to flutter open and closed, my body snuggles into the heat radiating sleeping bag.

It smells like Libra, sweet and flowery. I feel my fatigued body begin to weaken even more, so tempted to collapse to the ground, and ward off the tiredness with slumber.

"I. . . Must stay. . . Awake," I breathe, looking wearily up at the two girls. Hera purses her lips with angst, closing her eyes in disbelief. I squeeze my eyes shut to try and stimulate movement in them, to try and squish the fatigue in them.

"Here Rexx, come," Libra coos softly, gripping my shoulders and pulling me towards her. I barely need to be pulled, with the tiniest bit of force, Libra manages to cause me to fall forward. She catches me in her arms, embracing me against her for somewhere I can rest.

Despite my brain being half conscious, the rest of me feels paralyzed. I am in a state of half-asleep and half-awake. My eyes are solidly shut, while Libra strokes my hair in a way that I cannot resist sleeping to.

My reality becomes fuzzy, blurred, obscured. I can somewhat hear the conversation that Libra and Hera have together, catching audible phrases that blend in with my sleeping mind. I can still somehow logically understand what is being said, and have a brief idea as to what is happening in the conscious world.

"He has done so much to protect us, it has been effecting him so drastically," Libra's voice echoes.

"It is best that he gets some rest, he hasn't slept properly for days," Hera says now. There is a pause, in which nothing can be heard except for Libra's deep breathing and steady heartbeat.

"You know, he really does seem to care about you Libra, it's like he is putting his life on the line to protect you," Hera continues.

"I know, he is one of the best guys I have ever met, I don't know what I would do without him." That's when I finally fade off to the world of slumber. The combined warmth of the sleeping bag and Libra, accompanied with her soothing head scratching and rhythmic breathing, I drift off to full sleep without problem. It's a heavy snooze, with me being dead to the world around me. It's a sleep I enjoy, a sleep I crave, but most importantly, a sleep that I needed.

I don't know how long I sleep for, but it has to be a few hours at least. Once my eyes begin to flicker open, it occurs to me that I just slept. That I just allowed myself to fall asleep. I jolt fully awake, turning my head around so I can see. To my relief, I am still in Libra's arms, her hands no longer running through my hair.

I look up to see Libra's smiling face, looking down upon me, before I realize something rather awkward. The surface my face is resting on is rather comfortable, and soft. That is because the side of my face is resting on Libra's breast. My eyes widen and I lift my head up, blushing heavily.

"I am so sorry Libra," I say with heavy embarrassment. Hera bursts out giggling, while Libra also blushes slightly.

"It's fine Rexx, it's nothing to be sorry about," she says with a shy chuckle. I scratch the back of my head, sighing with nerves.

"Uh, how long did I sleep for?" I ask to try and change the topic.

"About four hours, you should try to sleep for longer," Hera says, wiping her eyes from her recent fit of laughter.

"I think I'm okay," I protest. Hera's face drops in exasperation.

"Don't lie, you still need to sleep," she says, folding her arms.

"Look, I'm fine okay, I've slept a bit, I'm good to keep watch now," I say firmly. Hera and Libra glance at each other unsurely.

"Just promise us you'll try and sleep some more Rexx, it's best that you get as much rest as possible, you won't be able to keep going if you keep this up," Hera says softly. I slouch my shoulders weakly, knowing that I can't get out of it. They are right. If I'm to protect them well enough, I have to be fully rested to ensure I am at the top of my game. Not only that, but keeping them happy at this rate is just as important as keeping them alive, and if they want me to get some rest, then I really should get some rest. I know I am exhausted, even though I just had a small nap on Libra then, I still cannot deny I am somewhat tired still.

"Okay, I'll get some more sleep," I say softly. Hera nods, while Libra lights up at this comment. Seeing her so happy at something I said, causes something to flutter in my chest, making it tingle with excitement. However, before I can address it, a noise bursts from the sky, or more accurately speaking, music bursts into play.

I look up, seeing the bright image of the Capitol Seal. As far as I can recall, no deaths occurred today, so that means no one's face will be appearing in the sky tonight.

"Did you hear a cannon while I was asleep?" I ask, glancing at Libra and Hera. Both shake their heads, meaning today has most definitely been deathless. Sure enough, no one's face appears in the sky tonight, and we are treated to the image of the Capitol Seal for as long as the anthem plays. I can't deduce if that is good or not, sure it means that none of our alliance has died, but it still means that people like Fletcher and Theia are lurking the arena, hunting for tributes to kill.

"Well I suppose that means that there are still twenty of us left," Hera sighs.

"Hey, at least eight of that number are a part of the United Pack," I say, trying to cheer her up.

"I wish we were still with the rest of them," Libra says, sounding incredulously sad. I twist my mouth sympathetically for Libra, as I watch her stare down sadly at the floor. My heart twinges with pity when I see trickles of tears spill from her eyes, and fall onto the cold fluffy snow.

She misses Atlas. It's been effecting her really badly, even though I've been doing everything in my power to distract her from the subject. I sit myself beside her putting my arm around her shoulder as she covers her eyes and cries.

"Libra, it'll be fine, we will find him, or he will find us," I whisper to her. I hear small sniffles from behind her hands, as she listens to me speak.

"Atlas is strong, he will not stop till he gets to you, I just know it," I say in reassurance. She raises her head, dropping her hands into her lap as she looks at me, indigo eyes swimming with tears.

"You really think so?" she asks softly.

"Positive," I say firmly. She sighs and looks up into the sky, which holds a shining moon that reflects in her tears, making her eyes shine.

"It's just, after everything I've seen, I can't be too sure anymore. After seeing what happened to Ancora, to Dana, it's stuck in my head, burned into my eyes," she mutters timidly. I try to think of something to say, but nothing comes to mind, leaving my mouth open foolishly.

"I just can't bear the thought of anything like that happening to him," she finishes, voice shaking with sorrow. I don't say anything, I don't even look at her. I just pull her in as if I am shielding her, just like she did to me. She buries her face into the crevasse between my shoulder and sternum.

I pat her back, as I rock back and forth, trying to soothe her just like she had done for me. My eyes glance to Hera, who looks at me with gratitude. I give her a half smile, with eye brows raised in sympathy. She knows that the sympathy is for Libra, and she nods in response.

I sigh and rest my chin on the top of Libra's head. What did we do to deserve this? Why were we forced to participate in this horrific game? I will never know the answer to that, as long as I live. For now, I will live in this moment. This moment of peace, that I comfort Libra, and accompany Hera.

However, as I look at Hera, her eyes go wide. My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I examine her face.

"What's wrong?" I ask. Hera's eyes become fearful, as they look behind me.

"Did you hear that?" she asks with a hushed voice.

"Hear what?" I ask.

That is when I hear it. A twig snapping, the crunch of snow, there is something in the forest behind me, shrouded in darkness. I turn my head to look behind me. The start of the forest is several, feet away, and in the entrance to the forest, I spot a dark figure move.

A person.

A human.

A tribute.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Guys. . . I'm really sorry, it's been close to a month. I have had so much on, this being a legitimate reason. School has been absolutely HECTIC, I've barely had any free time, it's been such a pain in the ass. I also went away for a weekend, I wasn't available for a whole week, it was just so crazy. They do say your final years of school are the craziest, I guess it's true. **

**Not only that, but in all honesty this chapter wasn't **_**too **_**enjoyable to write. Don't get me wrong, I love every chapter I write, and I enjoy every moment of it, but last chapter was just so full of action, it was weird going back to the quietness of a cool down chapter. So yes I know, not much happened, since there was death last chapter. We will get around to more action soon enough though, do not worry.**

**Anyways, enough of the negative things, what did you guys think? We finally got to see where the last three of the United were, we also got to see what happened to Laelia after last chapter. She survived! It was very close though, I could have very easily killed her off. Nobody is safe remember. Cassia is just, batshit crazy at this point, Whent having to take on leadership is going to be interesting to see, and who or what was that at the end of Rexx's POV. . . But gee, Rexx has been trying so hard to protect the two girls, do you guys reckon Rexx is underrated?**

**I am definitely making it my goal to name as many weapons as I can. October's Song, the reasoning for that name will come into play eventually, you already know half of the meaning which I explained, but we will have to wait and see...**

**Let me know if you want me to name a specific weapon. I'll list the notable ones at this point, I'll have to elaborate on what weapons others have later.**

**-Whent's Obsidian Sword**

**-Rexx's Obsidian Sword**

**-Theia's Jewel Encrusted Dagger**

**-Liesel's Katana**

**-Laelia's Axe**

**-Minho's Sword**

**-Phionex's Axe**

**-Haim's Gold Lined Spear?. . . if it even still exists looooolllll**

**Can't think of much else to say, so I'll leave it here for now. Name of the next chapter is of course on my profile, and hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon! Happy Easter!**

**-Ares**

* * *

_Remaining Districts:_

**District 1**

**District 2**

**District 3**

**District 4**

**District 5**

**District 6**

**District 7**

**District 8**

**District 9**

**District 10**

**District 11**

**District 12**

* * *

_Remaining Tributes:_

**Haim Peridot - District 1?**

**Theia Cartelle - District 1**

**Nero Koeing - District 2**

**Ladonna Gully - District 2**

**Dayta Owens - District 3**

**Liesel Varner - District 3**

**Rhode Nerida - District 4**

**Minho Lyun - District 5**

**Laelia Webber - District 5**

**Aramid Vicuna - District 6**

**Hera Loughbrook - District 6**

**Atlas Verdini - District 7**

**Phionex Blast - District 7**

**Rexx Kerdom - District 8**

**Libra Spindle - District 8**

**Fletcher Wilds - District 9**

**Vince Rojarze - District 10**

**Cassia Summers - District 10**

**Quinn Holland - District 11**

**Whent Lush - District 12**

* * *

_Alliances:_

**United Pack 1: Rexx D8, Libra D8, Hera D6**

**United Pack 2: Vince D10, Phionex D7, Liesel D3**

**United Pack 3: Minho D5, Aramid D6, Atlas D7**

**Terrific Trio: Ladonna D2, Cassia D10, Whent D12**

**Loners:**

**Theia D1**

**Nero D2**

**Dayta D3**

**Rhode D4**

**Fletcher D9**

**Quinn D11**

**?:**

**Haim D1?**

* * *

_Killers:_

**Fletcher Wilds- **3

**Theia Cartelle- **1(2?)


	38. Corrupted Minds

_Day 5: Early Morning_

* * *

**Dayta Owens, 15, D3:**

I stare at the sky, the hologram of the Capitol Seal shining brightly and illuminating the arena. Because of this, I stay under the trees, making sure the light doesn't catch me. No deaths today of course, as there was no cannon. Instead of meaning death however, seeing the Capitol Anthem means something differently to me entirely.

The death recaps are usually shown at 12:00 am, at the beginning of a new day. So, if I am judging correctly, that means it is officially my birthday. Huh. It sure doesn't feel like my birthday. I never would have thought I would be stuck in a battle to the death for my birthday. What a fantastic birthday present.

It doesn't really hit me that I have managed to survive to see another birthday. I could have easily died mere days ago, yet here I am, still kicking it. Of course I am, I knew from the very start I would be making it far, I knew that I would be winning, because of course I played my cards perfectly. They all underestimated me, even Liesel. Wherever she may be, the fact remains that she most definitely didn't expect me to be capable of anything.

I even warned her at the beginning, that I am no weak willed boy, no ordinary person that will drop like a hat due to physical weakness. When it got out a slight bit that I was of high academic importance in District 3, that made me panic slightly. However, my impeccable performance ensured that they all misjudged me. So now I am still alive, and four of them are dead, and I intend on being the last of the 24 of us alive.

The problem is, that could be days away, weeks even. I am counting on the lot of them killing off each other, weakening one another until the last one remains, and I can knock them to the ground with a simple push. I must admit, I will be sad when Liesel dies. I did grow a great friendship with her, maybe because of how outcast we were to begin with. The label of District 3 is a terrible thing to have in these games where anyone can kill you, so it seems we were just naturally drawn to each other. Hell, I even saved her at the beginning. She insisted that she had it taken care of, but does she really expect me of all people to fall for that bluff?

Of course I wouldn't, because I know especially, that not everyone is invincible, no matter how tough they build their exterior to be. Liesel is one of those people, with a hard outer shell, and a genuinely vulnerable inside that with a big push can crumble to the ground. It's just I won't be the one doing that. I already stated, I like Liesel, I truly do. I can only hope that someone else will kill her off, so I don't have to.

So where does this all leave me? Waiting. Waiting patiently for the tributes to drop, until I can win. I know I am going to win, there is no doubt. So what can I do in the meantime? To pass these next several weeks? I have the answer. One that has eaten away at me since I first was introduced to the existence of it. I should probably say the existence of _her._

Ever since I first laid my eyes upon Hera, I couldn't keep my thoughts off of her. If I wasn't thinking about my strategy and my game plan, I was thinking of her. How hopeless I was, how little chance I had of ever being a part of her life.

No matter how often I tried to rid myself of these plaguing thoughts, they would always come crawling back, leaving me in some state of an obsessive lunatic. I didn't like it, I knew it was happening to me, all because I didn't stand a chance.

That isn't the case anymore. It isn't, because I now know what I can do. I now know how I can make Hera bend to my every desire, how I can make her love me. There is only one problem. How can I possibly get to her to pursue my plans?

With that, I arrive in my current circumstance. The death recap fades away, as does the music, leaving everything silent except for the distant and crackling fire. I turn away from the sky and look back over, through the trees and at the clearing. It's lit up by the fire, and occupied by some sort of tarp that covers the small area, and three tributes that sit down on two separate fallen tree trunks.

Two of them face away from my position, and face the fire instead, while the other faces my direction, looking at the other two. The one on their own, has long and luscious blonde hair, hair that could only belong to Hera. I only found the group recently, when it had been the hours of black night. So I haven't been able to properly make out the other two tributes. If I had to judge, I would have to say that they look very much like Rexx and Libra, the two District 8 tributes. That's quite interesting, the three of them aren't with the rest of their alliance.

I smirk as I see who I presume to be Libra crying a bit, only for the boy to pull her closer to him to hug her. How innocent she must be, with him having to comfort her in this dire time. To me, it presents an opportunity. The three of them seem to be distracted, now would be a good time to try and get a closer look of the place. I glance at the ground and frown, taking note of how dangerous doing that may be. With the large quantity of snow and sticks on the ground, it would be highly risky to try and get a closer peek.

I consider backing out, and continuing to watch from afar, until my eyes once again land on Hera. Beautiful, gorgeous, Hera. I suppose I should be light enough, I am aware that I am not entirely heavy. After a couple of seconds internally debating myself, my curiosity and determination manage to overpower my common sense.

My eyes never break contact from Hera as I take a step forward. I wince as I hear the crunch of my foot in the snow, just knowing that it was loud enough for them to hear. I watch as Hera is distracted by some heartfelt moment the three of them share, her face falling in confusion and suspicion, as her eyes wander over to my general direction.

Fuck she heard me, should I even keep going? I take another step, breathing heavily when I hear the snow crunch underneath my boot. This was a mistake. Hera now entirely looks in my direction, her face frozen in fear as she squints to see who I may be.

"What's wrong?" I hear the boy ask softly. Hera gulps before she answers, refusing to take her eyes off of my area. I myself am frozen, trying to think of a way that I can escape without causing a commotion.

"Did you hear that?" she replies, causing my heart to thump hard and fast.

"Hear what?" I take a step back, and to my horror, step on one of the many twigs that litter the snow. As I hear the snap, my eyes widen in terror. It was loud and clear as day, a sudden crack that pierces the silent night air. There is no way he could not have heard that, and it seems that I am right.

I definitely know it is Rexx now, as he whisks around and stares directly at me. Time to go now. From what I can tell, I could be a shadow for all they could see, but the fact remains that they can see a tribute, and they likely aren't taking any chances.

I take a step back, followed by another one, with my heart thumping and sweat coating my body. Rexx stands up slowly, his hand gripping the hilt of a jagged purple looking sword. My eyes widen as it dawns on me just what exactly the mineral is.

_"Obsidian," _I breathe with tenseness. If that is Obsidian, which I highly believe it to be, then I am absolutely in a bad place at the moment. My eyes flit to the hoods of both Rexx and Libra, seeing the purple and causing me to silently curse myself. If I had taken note of the colour of their hoods, I would have realized what District they were from. You idiot Dayta. Not that I think that District 8 is much of a threat, because they really aren't, it's more my idiocy that annoys me, and that Obsidian sword that scares me.

They made weapons out of the small amount of Obsidian they could find back at the beginning of the New World, where the volcanoes rose from the ground and the seas washed over them shortly after, and they being the survivors. There wasn't much to salvage however, which was probably for the best. The Obsidian that they took from the destruction of the Old World seemed to have some supernatural effect on it, meaning whoever was penetrated by an Obsidian sword, died in a horrific way.

Seeing the purple mineral is enough to make me run to the other side of the arena if I must, however I need to stand my ground. I need Hera. But that doesn't mean stand around and wait to get killed by Rexx.

I slink back behind one of the trees, a fairly large one that easily shields me from view, one with a pale grey colour to the oak that makes the area feel so much colder than it already is. I look up with somewhat of a panic, my eyes resting on a few branches that are close enough for me to reach. If I'm not leaving the area, then this is the best that I can do.

I jump up, my hands latching onto the thick protruding branch, which thankfully has enough support to hold me. My upper body strength isn't exactly fantastic, however that doesn't mean I can't use my legs to walk up the length of the tree, so that I can wrap them around the branch.

By doing this, I hoist myself up which gives me clear access to more branches. I am luckily screened by foliage of the tree, which makes it too dark to see anything at all if someone were to look up here. I watch the ground below me, body tensed and struck frozen with anticipation. A moment later, I see a figure walk right where I had recently tread, holding a flaming torch in one hand and the jaggedly sharp purple Obsidian Sword in the other.

I close my eyes and knock my forehead against the tree in exasperation, as I realize just exactly what he is doing. He is checking for footprints in the snow, and I sure as hell left a lot of them. I am not only an idiot, but I am a stupid fucking idiot.

While Rexx is distracted by the footprints I stupidly made, I make sure to carefully and silently pass on over to a connecting tree, one that in fact leads even closer to their campsite. I look back as I rest my back against the hard and rough surface of the tree, seeing Rexx examining the tracks in confusion. Now that I don't have a tree blocking my view of their campsite, I can now see Libra and Hera, who are close behind Rexx with a weapon in their hand. Libra has a very distinctive thin sword, while Hera holds what appears to be a small version of a scythe.

"Did you find anything?" Libra asks while she shakes from the cold. Rexx doesn't answer right away, holding the torch up higher so he can see the whole area and glancing around before replying to her.

"Yes, there are footprints here, not ours since we came from a different direction. But there is a problem. . ." Rexx says, trailing off as his eyes scan the area.

"What's that?" Hera asks, taking a few steps towards him.

"There are only tracks leading here, none that lead away. So it looks like whoever it was somehow just vanished," Rexx informs them.

"Vanished?" Libra says bluntly, as if Rexx was telling her nonsense. Quite frankly, that is nonsense in my opinion.

"Yeah, right under this tree," he says suspiciously. Rexx stands up and holds the torch high, up towards the tree. I let out a small sigh of relief knowing that I could have just been caught then.

"I don't know where they could have gone," Rexx comments as he caresses the rough bark of the pale grey tree.

"Should we look for them?" Hera asks uncertainly. Just by the look on Rexx's face, I know he will decline the suggestion. The same thoughts he is having is likely running through my mind, creating ways for them to not come and find me.

"No, not tonight. If they were a threat, they wouldn't have just vanished like this, plus it's too dark to be looking for a tribute right now, and likely too dangerous. There probably isn't much of a point," Rexx mutters, only just remaining audible for me to hear.

"Rexx, the aim is to. . . eliminate. . . the other tributes. We should probably do tha-"

"No," Rexx interrupts, turning around and holding up his hand. Hera stops, mouth parted in speech, which she closes with a frown. Rexx softens his face a little, looking at Hera apologetically.

"Sorry for the outburst, but we don't want to have to kill anyone Hera. The tribute is long gone from what I can tell, it'll just be a wild goose chase. We need to rest while we can," he explains. _Good, they are staying. I wouldn't want to have to track them down again._

"Guys it's freezing out here, let's go back," Libra breathes with a chill. Rexx raises his head towards Libra, likely realizing that she is currently freezing.

"Libra, I'm so sorry I didn't realize how cold it was out here," he says sounding worried. He takes a few steps over to Libra, putting his arm around her and leading her back towards their campsite. Hera follows closely behind, looking back at the spot I had been with unease, and perhaps a little confusion.

I let out a deep breath, and rest my tense body against the tree. I look up through the gaps in the leaves, looking at the large and luminous moon. That whole situation was close. Too close. Thanks to my stupid decisions and lustful instincts, I could have gotten myself killed.

I need to play this smarter, and I am going to come up with a plan.

I will have Hera.

* * *

_Day 5: Morning_

* * *

**Quinn Holland, 16, D11:**

"What the fuck?" I gasp, sitting up and looking around in a panic. Where am I? What am I doing here? This is not at all like where I have been the past few days, yet it seems vaguely familiar. The feeling of distance from the real world is definitely present, as being here doesn't feel entirely natural.

To start off, the surface I rest on is cushiony, and highly comfortable, quite unlike the grassy surface I have known myself to lie on for the past couple of days. I sink into it like it's a marshmallow, leading me to momentarily believe the arena has changed somehow.

That's debunked however, when I recognize the room that I am in. Shaggy carpeted floor, soft feathery bed, grand patterned walls and Royal colours decorating the interior. There is only one place like this that I have ever known. My room in the Capitol. My eyes narrow in confusion, as I look around at the room.

Why am I in my Capitol room? Have I somehow just dreamed all of what has happened? The whole Hunger Games so far is actually yet to occur? The room appears quite ordinary, once you get past how rich it looks. In fact, it appears just the way that I left it. The answer dawns on me, causing me to sigh and close my eyes in annoyance.

I'm dreaming again, aren't I? I shake my head profusely, trying to wake myself up. I even try the classic pinching tactic, but that doesn't work either. I try everything I can think of, but none of it snaps me awake.

"What is going on?!" I shout, hearing my voice echo throughout the location. This room shouldn't cause an echo, meaning I must be right about the dream theory. Of course I'm right, this isn't the second nightmare I've had these games. After the first one, I've had one every time I've slept since, all located in District 11, all dedicated to my parents. My parents, that come to me every nightmare, beg for my help, and end up dying.

It's been a different way every time, with me trying to help them, and me ending up being the one to do the despicable deed. There is just one problem with this particular dream, why am I in the Capitol? This room had nothing to do with my parents, besides perhaps that night that I thought about how little care I have shown for their untimely deaths.

Somehow, I can just sense that it isn't them this time that this is about. I just cannot seem to put my finger on it. I'm hesitant on moving from the bed, because I know if I do, that's when the nightmare begins. This time however, I'm ready for it, whatever they can throw at me.

"Come out and face me!" I shout out, hearing my voice bounce endlessly off of the walls. I hear no response, causing me to smirk as I look around.

"Yeah that's right, you're not going to, whoever you are, you're not able to because I'm not going to let you!" I roar, pumping myself up for whatever encounter may happen. Despite this, I'm apparently not ready for what will happen.

I hear laughter distantly echo from all around me, causing me to be unable to pin point just where it may be coming from. The laughter is more of a giggle, higher in pitch due to its owner likely being that of a girl, or more so a child.

"No fuck this, come on really? Little demonic girls now? Give me a damn break already, I don't know what is going this, but why do I keep getting these nightmares?" I shout aimlessly. What do I expect? A response? I sure as hell don't get one. Instead, I get another demonic little girl laugh, not so much a giggle this time, but actually full on. In addition, this one sounds much closer this time, causing me to sweat and for my skin to turn pale.

"What do you wa-!" My words are cut off by a sudden bang. I freeze, my head turning directly to the source of the bang. The door, it has been knocked on. I jolt back a bit when a series of bangs thud against the door, each one sounding like the door is about to give way. How is this happening? I haven't even moved yet. Unless. . .

"Quinn?" a timid voice calls out from behind the door. Upon hearing this voice, alarm bells instantly ring in my head. My blood runs cold and I dig my nails into the soft bouncy mattress. I shake intensely, with a look of horror etched onto my face.

No, there is no way, it can't be. . . Why is this happening to me? It is much too soon for something like this. That voice can only belong to one person, a voice I never thought I would ever hear again.

"Quinn please, I need to talk to you," the voice cries out, sounding like it's on the verge of tears.

"This can't be happening," I allow myself to utter, my hands raising to the side of my head and massaging it profusely. With these words, the door creaks open slowly. Once open, I can see the dark figure of a girl standing in the frame of the door.

"N-no," I stammer, my body drawing back against the bed frame in terror. I watch helplessly as the figure takes a few steps forward, the light slipping over her and revealing her identity.

"Hello Quinn, we have much to talk about," Naomi utters, staring at me with glassy eyes. I feel my mouth open and close repeatedly, trying to say something, anything. . . Yet nothing comes out.

"What's wrong Quinn? Is there something wrong with me?" She asks with concern, sounding rather distressed. I gulp with angst, knowing that whatever is going on, it surely isn't natural.

"You, you were dead, you died Naomi," I gasp, words sounding raspy and soft. Her face hardens, anger becoming evident in her tearful eyes.

"I know Quinn, I am dead with thanks to you of course," she says bitterly, allowing herself to sit on the bed. I blink, trying to make sense of what is going on, trying to work out how she can go from scared, to calm, to angry all in the matter of thirty seconds. In addition to all of these factors, this experience is far more different from my past nightmares. For starters, I'm actually able to properly communicate with Naomi, she understands what I am saying and she can reply, unlike my parents for some peculiar reason.

"Naomi, um, this is really weird for me right now, because I'm speaking to you, but you died," I confess. Naomi's eyes narrow, hate evidently swirling through them. I jolt back when I see literal fire in her eyes, burning from dire hate.

"Don't remind me that I died Quinn, it makes me angry and I can't quite control myself yet," she says through gritted teeth, before closing her fiery eyes, breathing heavily through her nose and turning away. This leaves me with more questions than answers.

"Control yourself?" I say hesitantly. With these words, her face softens, her red lips smiling and showing her pearly white teeth.

"Yes Quinn, and neither can you quite yet," she replies warmly. This only makes me tense and alarmed, sweat instantly beginning to once again coat my body.

"Wait, you mean. . . I died as well?" I ask. She giggles and shakes her head, looking at me comically.

"No that is not what I mean Quinn, you are still alive, you will understand what I mean soon," she replies. We are both silent for a moment, before I speak up.

"Is it really you Naomi? You're not just an apparition in my nightmare are you?" I ask.

"It really is me Quinn, I am here, just like I was before. . . Before you had abandoned me! Before you had left me to die!" She shouts, standing up in a fury and staring back at me with her fiery eyes. I hold up my hands to my face, preparing myself for whatever she may do to me. However it never comes. I open my eyes to see her holding her fingers to her temples, closing her eyes while she hunches over. When she opens her eyes again, they have returned to normal, and she slowly straightens back up before she glances at me.

"My apologies Quinn, I don't really mean that. It wasn't your fault, it's just my rage overwhelms me at some points," she explains sympathetically.

"No problem. . . I guess," I reply with bewilderment.

"Yes, it is my spirit, so it is me Quinn. I am no dream entity, but rather the real deal," she says calmly.

"H-how are you visiting me?" I ask perpetuated. She smiles sadly at me, putting her incredibly cold hand over the top of mine.

"All will be explained soon, when you are ready," she coos. I jerk my hand back in surprise from her cold touch, which causes her to frown.

"You're so. . ."

"Cold?" She asks, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, yeah," I finish off. She smirks at me before walking over slightly towards the window that overlooks an empty Capitol.

"That's no surprise, I don't exactly have a working heart do I?" she replies in amusement. She turns back to me, a frown embedded onto her face.

"You know what it is like to always be so cold, to feel the cold spread throughout your whole body Quinn?" she asks, sounding rather bitter.

"Uh, no. . . Not really," I reply awkwardly.

"Yeah, I know, because you aren't dead! You don't have to put up with the cold! You don't have to live in sorrow, for the rest of your life! Knowing there is nothing more but the endless afterlife of. . ." She stops mid-sentence, grabbing the sides of her head and collapsing to her knees. I jump to my feet in an instant, not knowing quite what to do. Afterlife of what? What did she mean? I kneel down beside her grabbing her shoulder and trying to calm her down.

Well, at least I attempt to, because as soon as soon as my fingers graze her skin, I feel a searing white hot pain flare up on my fingers. I pull away, seeing the smoke leaving my burn wound. I scan Naomi with concern, my eyes resting on her face and seeing her clenched eyelids emitting smoke from underneath. From the corners flow a trail of salty tears, each following the structure of her face.

After a couple of seconds, she lets out a gasp, and opens her eyes. They have once again returned to normal. Her gaze rests on me, as she breathes heavily from her effort.

"I'm so sorry Quinn, you have to understand, when you come back in the afterlife, you aren't quite the same as before," she pants.

"I don't have much more time left, you still aren't strong enough," she says softly. Before I can ask her what she means by 'I am not strong enough', she gasps as she looks down at my right hand.

"Did I do that?" she asks sounding horrified.

"Yeah, but it's no big deal, I'll be fine," I say shrugging it off.

"Here, let me see," she says reaching for my hand. I instantly pull it away, looking at her fearfully.

"I don't want to be burned again Naomi," I state. She snorts lightly before looking at me softly.

"My rage isn't here at the moment, it's just me. I can cool it down, allow me," she says in an assuring tone, raising her hand to mine. I sigh, and allow her to take it. I cringe at the cold, but after the initial contact, it feels quite invigorating against my burn. The burn itself is just a long red line against four of my fingers on my right hand. It shines slightly in the light, leading me to think it may blister up at some point. I scold that thought though, especially since it happened in a dream. It won't stick around. It's not real.

"Naomi, you said Afterlife of something, what do you mean by that, what happens after death?" I ask carefully. She drags my hand over and presses it against her freezing chest, allowing me to feel a moment of bliss on my burn.

"Quinn, there is no explanation for the place you go after death, it certainly isn't hell, but it's not what I would have expected heaven to be like when I was alive. It's vast, scary even, lonely, just something I would want to avoid if I were you," she explains.

"Well, that certainly sounds appealing," I say sarcastically. She laughs, shrugging her shoulders.

"Are the others there?" I ask. She smiles, taking a moment to think.

"The other tributes? They are, sometimes they are at least, other times it's unclear," she says.

"Are. . . Well, um. . ."

"Your parents?" Naomi asks.

"Yeah," I confirm blankly.

"Of course, they try to contact you as much as possible," she grins. My eyes widen, while a chill runs down my spine.

"They do?" I ask.

"Indeed, and they have been getting closer and closer, you may have seen that recently," she says in a knowing tone. This sends even more chills down my spine.

"Those nightmares, those were really them?" I ask. Naomi nods her head proudly.

"Yes Quinn, but I cannot say much more on that yet, not until next time," she says sadly. Her eyes are soft for a moment, before they begin to bulge. I see the fire begin to form in them again, which she seems to realize as well.

"Oh no, Quinn, I-I can't hold on much l-longer, I need to go back until you're stronger," she says as she grips her head once again.

"Okay, okay Naomi, one last thing, who was it that killed you?" I ask hurriedly. She grunts, trying to hold whatever it is that's effecting her in. Naomi, releases her head, and arches her back. She screams demonically at the top of her lungs, her fiery eyes wide open as she breathes fire up towards the ceiling. This is accompanied by the roar of a storm of flames, sounding like a thundering wind that has warped with the crackling fire. The fire is cut off suddenly, however not the sound of the inferno typhoon. When she closes her mouth and looks at me, her angry eyes are filled with a bottomless inferno staring directly into my soul.

"You want to know who killed me? You killed me! You did this to me!" She shouts, pointing at two locations on her body. I gasp when an enormous wound ruptures vertically through her stomach, causing blood to stain her shirt from underneath, right where she is pointing at with her right hand. Her left points towards her neck, which is suddenly torn off by some invisible force, that shows her windpipe had been ripped out. As I stare in horror, she lets out another scream, as she closes her eyes again, and reopens them to show they have momentarily gone back to normal.

"Quinn I can't hold on any longer! Wake up," she shouts, before the rage consumes her once again. The door suddenly slams open, revealing a slender old man with a gaunt face, greying hair, and cold grey eyes hidden behind thick rimmed glasses. The man's eyes are wide and angry, appearing completely shocked by the scene he is witnessing.

I recognize the man as soon as I see him, mainly because he was a large reason as to why the rebels lost, and he is in fact Welsh's right hand man. The infamous Edison Belkry, former Mayor of District 3.

"What is the meaning of this? You shouldn't be here in Mr Holland's dream," he rants furiously. Naomi turns to him with complete and utter rage, her eyes full of fire and hate as she stares down Belkry. He examines Naomi for a moment, before his face falls in horror.

"You. . . How is this even possible? You're dead!" He exclaims fearfully.

"Quinn now!" Naomi screeches at me.

. . .

I jolt forward, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. I pant at an incredibly fast rate, beginning to calm down after a few seconds. The nightmare, it's over. I sigh in relief, knowing that I am once again free from the burden of sleep terrors. I am relieved to be awarded with the chirping of birds, the familiar scent of pine and wood, and the rather uncomfortable bed of nettles and leaves that I have made for underneath my sleeping bag.

I laugh weakly as I reach up to wipe the sweat off of my forward, before gasping in pain when I make contact.

"Ouch, fuck what was that?" I say with frustration. I examine my hand, before freezing in shock. Across four of my fingers on my right hand, is a long red burn mark.

* * *

_Day 5: Afternoon_

* * *

**Nero Koeing, 18, D2:**

I shout out at the top of my lungs, this release of anger accompanied by the sounds of my sobs. My eyes are bulged, staring fixated on a single leaf that lies on the floor, not for any reason in particular, but because I need something to concentrate on, something to distract me.

I slam my fist onto the ground, hearing a thud as it makes contact. It isn't the first time I've hit the ground with my fist, but rather the. . . Twenty third time? Oh I wouldn't know, it's not like I am worrying about that, it's not like it matters.

I raise my hand shakily, my vision latching onto the bloody ragged skin of the side of my fist. It doesn't hurt, there is no pain that accompanies it. I want pain, I want to feel it, it's not right that I don't. I want to go back to normal, I'm just a complete monster at this stage.

"_Why. . . Won't you. . . Hurt_?" I whimper hysterically, as I stare at my hand accusingly. My wild eyes turn towards my hip, where I had gotten injured by Haim on the first day. The clothing around it is soaked with blood, and it still appears to be damp from some sort of fluid. I grab the hem of my shirt and pull it upwards, looking up at the sky in fury as I dig my finger into the wound.

I long to feel the sting, the stabbing burning pain that is meant to accompany that action, yet it doesn't come. I feel a new wave of warm crimson blood begin to flow over my fingers, causing me to close my eyes. Angry tears manage to penetrate my tear ducts, and slightly leak from my closed eyes.

I open them, staring down at my wound with a helpless rage burning in my eyes. That is until I notice something strange, something bad. They become concerned, narrowed as I spot something wrong. Even in my current maniacal state, I can tell that it isn't good, whatever the hell I am looking at. I thought before that the fluid I felt may have just been sweat, I didn't even take the time to take a proper look at it in my state of anger.

Now what I see, accompanying the fresh blood that has begun to flow from the wound, is white off-coloured puss. I tilt my head in disbelief, failing to understand what could be so horrific about this ordeal. Could it kill me? Is it going to somehow consume the flesh around the wound?

Somehow, despite these possibilities inside of my head, I cannot bring myself to fear, I cannot bring myself to care, all I can do, is become angrier. However, this time I have a reason. I have someone to be angry at, the very person that did this to me.

Haim Peridot. The boy from District 1, the cocky, arrogant, infuriating piece of shit. It was him that did this to me, him that stabbed me with his spear that made me bleed my own blood. I need to make him pay, I need to kill him, I must. The problem is, I'm not even sure if he is still alive.

The thought of him makes my breathing twice as ragged, and somewhere deep in my corrupted mind, I put two and two together, realizing exactly just how parched my throat is, how thirsty I really am. I drag myself over towards a small lake that rests nearby. It remains calm and smooth, the water reflecting everything present. It angers me, making me feel a tick of rage. I don't like such calm and serene surfaces. I want to thrash the water, make it ripple and wave, yet I manage to contain myself. I'm going to drink anyway, which will disturb its serenity.

I lower my face towards the mirror like substance, feeling the cool liquid make contact with my nose, mouth and eyes. I'm taken aback by how relieving it is to feel the refreshing water wash down my throat, and for a moment, my body is for once in complete and utter peace. I haven't felt like this in. . . Perhaps a year. I have suffered from poverty, famine, and especially my cancer, so much so that I haven't felt comfortable in that long.

Then along came the Hunger Games, I was reaped, and they cured my cancer. They didn't tell me about the possible side effects though. Ever since then, I have felt ever burning rage, at anything and everything. If I didn't, I was completely drugged up and basically incapable of doing anything. Now however. . . I'm fighting it. I'm fighting the rage, and it might be working. I feel at harmony with my body, and right now, I have felt better than I have in as far as I can remember.

Looking up from the water, I wipe my mouth and grin. This feels amazing! If I knew I could have fought against the rage, I would have much sooner. I look around at the area, seeing it all in a different light. Seeing the true beauty of the arena, despite the bloody battles that take place all around it. How do I keep this feeling?

_You can't. _

I stop short, as the thought pops into my head. I'm confused for a moment, confused at why my own conscience suddenly turned on my emotions. I can't? Why not? Why can't I keep this!? I feel my blood begin to boil once again, my fists clenching and my eyes narrowing.

No! What am I doing? I'm getting angry over myself, my own thoughts are triggering my rage. I can keep the feeling, I know I can, I just cannot allow myself to let go of it, to discard everything and become induced by rage once again.

I grit my teeth, closing my eyes and soothing my breathing, allowing myself to inhale through my nose, and exhale through my mouth. I relax my body, shoving the rage away and letting it slip from my body. As long as I block it out, I can beat it.

I open my eyes once again, seeing the water calm and smooth like before, reflective as it just was. When I look down at my reflection however, I know that something is wrong. My skin crawls, and my fists tighten, as my hate burns furiously. This is because in the reflection, someone looks over my shoulder. That someone, is Haim Peridot.

"Hey there, how is that hip of yours doing?" I hear his voice ask from behind me. My hands wrap around the smooth handles of the machete, just before I whisk around to swing them at his neck. I do this quickly, but not quickly enough apparently, because my machetes hit nothing and the force I swung them with carries me over to the left a couple of steps.

He is gone, his whole body vanishing from that position. I look around wildly, my vision seeking out where he went with intensity. My eyes land on a tree branch slightly near me, raised several feet in the air. He sits on it, back leant against the trunk with his hands propped behind his head. He smirks at me from above, chuckling in amusement.

"That is no way to treat me, that was rather rude. I think you should apologize," he says crossing his arms. I continue to stare up at him, my body shaking with rage as the anger pulsates throughout my body.

"_I. . . Will kill. . . You," _I growl, baring my teeth and holding up my machetes. He snorts, holding up his hands in mock mercy.

"Oh please, don't hurt me!" he cries out in a high pitched voice. He grins stupidly, as he looks at me.

"That was my imitation of Dana by the way, do you think it would have been accurate? I think I should be an actor," he says trailing off, as he strokes his chin. I roar in anger, as I hold up one of the machetes and throw it forcefully at Haim's stationary body. He doesn't do much to escape, in fact, he doesn't even flinch. Just as the machete is going to connect with his chest however, Haim once again vanishes. This time, the place where he just was is left with a black mist, the same that would erupt from the deaths of those dead tribute mutts I killed.

I hear the _thunk _of the machete blade impaling the wood of a tree, confirming that it has not at all hit Haim. What? Why can these mutts teleport now? That's unfair!

"Woah. . . You didn't think you could hit me with that things did you?" Haim's snarky voice asks. I fling myself around to face him, seeing he now stands calmly a few feet away from me. He examines my face for a moment, before laughing hysterically.

"You did! Oh that's fucking hilarious Nero, you really thought you could hit a figment?" he says astounded. I don't get much time. To respond, with my face falling in mild confusion.

"Yes, a figment Nero. You probably believed I was some sort of mutt, didn't you? Well no, I am just like those other dead tributes that you faced," he states, smirking at me.

"_You're. . . Dead?" _I ask. Haim's face falls in disbelief, before sighing and pacing back and forth.

"By talking about the other tributes you faced, I wasn't talking about what state their real counter parts are in. Those were figments, as am I. You don't look like you're getting it," Haim says flatly. I shake my head furiously in confirmation, making him throw up his hands in exasperation.

"We are figments of your imagination you fucking idiot! You are insane! You don't know what's real or not! You're not human anymore! You weren't fighting mutts in that cave, you were fighting nothing! It looked like you were dancing around and choking yourself for no apparent reason other than you are completely off the deep end!" he roars, projecting so much rage that I am shoved backwards.

It feels like some force was just catapulted into my chest, a burning pain that begins to burrow deeper and deeper into my body. It was a like an orange flare had erupted from his mouth, and I absorbed every ounce of it. Has somebody nuked my body? I never thought I would feel pain again, and now that I do, I wish I could die right now. I feel my body convulsing, this fiery poisonous rage spreading over every corner of my body.

My conscience thought seems foggy and distant to the world, even more primitive than it had been before. Despite this, I can still take note of the animal like screaming that pierces the air. Is that my screaming?

My eyes are clenched shut, all I'm able to see now is fireworks and infernos. They pollute my vision, the vision I see behind my eyelids. I try to open my eyes, but I can't. It's as if I'm paralyzed from my body, and something else is moving it for me.

The fireworks I see begin to morph, merging into one another to become something, or someone. . . I grunt, breathing heavily as I try to block out the pain. I watch the figure become more and more human like, in complete and utter fear. Fear I have not felt in weeks. Through the throbbing burning pain my body experiences, I feel my heart flutter in shock, as I finally make out who the figure is.

I recognize this person, this man. I've seen him before. It's. . .

"Hello Nero, remember me?" he asks, deeply and calmly. It's odd to hear this man speak like this, while I am experiencing literal hell while listening to him.

"I am the man that did this to you. I am the doctor that made you a rage ridden, pathetic speck of dirt," he spits out, while glaring at me with his own rage. I remember now. The doctor that treated me on that first night on the train. The doctor smirks, before laughing deeply.

"That's right Nero, I am the doctor that treated your cancer. Except I gave you something much worse. I didn't treat you to save you from cancer, I treated you to place a burden on you, that you'll have to deal with for the rest of your life," he snarls.

"You thought you had beaten it Nero, but you can't. Holding the rage back just made the rage angrier at you. That sensation of being nuked, was the rage entering your body. You can't escape it any longer," he whispers evilly. I gasp, trying to fight it, trying to block out the pain, trying to stay alive. The doctor just smirks, before turning away. Once he does this, he says one last thing to me.

"When you wake up Nero, you will no longer be able to control yourself. You will take out your rage on everything, you will hunt, and you will kill. You know who is first on your list, now run along now my pet."

* * *

_Day 5: Evening_

* * *

**Rhode Nerida, 18, D4:**

I cross my leg over the other, leaning back against what I like to call my throne. Breathing in deeply through my nose, I smell the fresh pine and the subtle honey scent that drifts from a nearby bee-hive. I feel fairly safe with it being there, I checked to make sure they weren't tracker jackers, and to my pleasure, they were simple honey bees.

If it comes to it, I can always destroy the hive, let the bees discard, and eat the honey from it. That would be an option for if I ever ran out of food. Except, that won't happen any time soon. I have a constant flow of food coming in, all types of meat from around the island, animals that have been captured with ease.

If I had to say so myself, I am in the best possible position anyone could possibly be in for these games. I've got a full belly 24/7, a comfy and temporary home, and all the possible protection I need. I haven't been touched these games, I haven't run into a single tribute since the start of Day 1. It's the evening of Day 5 right now, so if I would consider myself quite lucky.

I scoff at the thought, shaking my head in amusement. Luck? Why would I say it was luck? It was purely my own genius that conjured this plan, and I have played it flawlessly so far. My intellect alone is getting me through this right now, and I intend on winning this thing. District 4 will house the first ever Victor of the Hunger Games.

I smirk with pride, excited for what will come. There are very few tributes that consider strategy over brute force, and running and gunning. Of course they haven't outright announced it, but you can tell which ones they are. Those quiet ones, that reveal nothing and stay quiet and mysterious the majority of the time. I'm like that myself, playing my cards at the precise moments that will get me to where I want.

I know best of all, that I am a major threat to the rest. They only consider me a threat in the sense of my score of twelve, but truly, they have no idea. Most are terrified of tributes like Fletcher or Nero, or Minho. The brutes, the aggressive psychopaths, the ones that don't think, but attack.

Those tributes don't pose a threat to me at all, in fact very few do. There are only four that I can think of, that for me, will be the ones to beat. These are the smart ones, the quiet and mysterious ones I mentioned prior.

Quinn.

Theia.

Rexx.

Liesel.

These are the only tributes I know barely anything about, aside from Theia's obvious psychotic side that she has to her. In my opinion, those are the tributes that pose a real threat. I just know it.

There was, at a point, another one. One that I know I wouldn't exactly be able to bring myself to send to his death. That is the case no longer however, as he died two days ago. Danix, my District partner, and somewhat, my friend. I knew he wouldn't be able to last long, he was weak willed, unstable, rather pathetic in all honesty. As soon as he made that vow that he wouldn't allow himself to kill anyone, I knew he was a goner. Sure enough, he died.

I remember first seeing his face in the night sky, a small part of me had felt numb. I had gone cold, and I felt some sort of sorrow, which I don't often express. Despite the fact I only knew him for a week, I still felt some kind of connection with him. We were in this together, two kids from District 4, taken to fight against each other.

That sorrow, that numb feeling I felt, is long gone now. It drifted away rather easily, and soon enough, I had felt no remorse at all. In fact, it was hard to really feel any emotion whatsoever. To be quite honest, I like it. It's like I've had my soul ripped from my body, causing me to no longer feel much emotion for anything at all.

I reach down slightly, my hands caressing the soft and plentiful light grey fur of my wolf. Sabre rests on the floor, paws laid out in front of him and watching over our pack as the alpha. His ears are perked up, always listening for possible, impending attacks. His burning yellow embers that he has for eyes scan the scene ahead of us, watching willfully and silently.

Together, over the few days I have had Sabre for, we have searched the island, gathering wolves to add to our pack. Often, Sabre would howl into the night, calling for any wolf there may be. They often come soon after, prowling low to the floor, and showing their allegiance the queen, to their master, to me.

_They are yours to command, _Sabre would telepathically say to me, as every new wolf would join us. As of now, we have an enormous pack. At least twenty wolves roam the clearing, keeping guard for me, or hunting for food. This is the way I'm going to win these games, nothing can stop me now. If Fletcher came bursting into this clearing, they would swarm and eat him in an instant. I'm unstoppable. They might as well call me Victor now.

The best part about this, is the fact that I don't have to kill anyone to win. Sure I'll be ordering the death of them, but I won't be dealing the blows, it won't be me dishing the final stab.

I allowed Sabre to select his second in command, him choosing a rather viscous wolf, with black fur coat as dark as coal, cold blue eyes that remain hard and staring, with a deep pink scar that runs over the left side of his face. Of course, since I'm so original, I named him Scar.

Scar is just as, if not, more ferocious than Sabre, although he is still about two thirds of his size. Despite this, Scar is probably the largest wolf that we have naturally found, and I'm glad to have claimed him as my own. He's sits up, standing on his front paws, looming over every other wolf that there is.

He is the one that usually interacts with the other wolves, or perhaps I should say dominates them. He monitors the food that they bring up to me, watching to make sure it's safe and acceptable.

I watch as a dark grey wolf, full of cowardice, sheepishly makes its way up the small hill. He lowers down a single leg of a bird, looking at me with guilty eyes. I know before it happens that Scar will deem this as unacceptable, and sure enough, he growls at the wolf and slashes at its shoulder.

The wolf whimpers, before backing away and disappearing down the hill. I grit my teeth, breathing heavily through my nose.

"Scar! Be careful will you? You can't be hurting the others, they need to be in suitable fighting conditions," I snap at him, causing him to look at me, with those cold blue eyes. He turns his head at Sabre, producing a deep throaty growl before looking back at me.

_He says that he is only disciplining them, so that they will not bring back food that is so pathetic next time, _Sabre informs me, slowly blinking as he looks back at me. I shake my head in annoyance, before sighing and looking back at Scar.

"Just try to be more careful, they aren't invincible and if we face someone like Fletcher, then I'm going to need them at the best of their abilities and health," I instruct, sitting back against my throne.

My eyebrows raise as I see both Sabre and Scar's heads perk up suddenly, just before growling and howling can be made audible from below. I sit up straight, my eyes scanning for something down below. I see the wolves rallying, standing stiff and defensive as they stare at something that is masked from my vision by the trees.

"Sabre, what's going on?" I ask sharply.

_Something is here,_ he replies, looking straight ahead as he begins to get up off the ground. Scar leaps up quickly, before making his way quickly down the hill. I get up myself, stepping up beside Sabre as I jump up onto him and swing my leg over. I sit on Sabre's back steadily, as he takes us down into the clearing. I should have known something like this would happen. It was imminent, we would either have a tribute stumble upon us, or the Gamemaker's would send something to attack us to create some action. Well here we are now, the time has finally come, and we are about to fight someone, or something.

Sabre takes me right behind the wolves, causing me to be surrounded by growling and howls. I stare at the trees, trying to make out anything. It's evening as of now, meaning it has gotten quite dark in the area. In between the trees, I can see nothing besides darkness. Even as I squint, I still cannot make anything out.

The wolves all stare at the spot directly in front of me, a gaping hole into the dark forest. That must be where the person or thing is. I smirk as I stare at the hole, finding the situation quite amusing. If it is a tribute, I bet they weren't expecting to encounter me with an army at wolves at my beck and call. I'm basically untouchable as of now, there is no possible way a tribute would be able to get to me.

"Who's there?" I shout, hoping that whoever it is would be willing to answer. However, not to my surprise, there isn't a response.

"Show yourself now, I'll allow you to talk and perhaps walk away," I lie, hoping to draw whoever it is out. Unexpectedly, silence is all I receive.

"Last chance to get away alive, if you don't come out now, I'll be forced to send my pack to rip you to shreds," I threaten. This time I do get a response, however it's not the one I would expect. I hear an incredibly low growling noise come from the dark opening. I feel the vibration, travelling all through my body.

That is no tribute.

The growl escalates to a full blown roar, with the cracking of trees that accompany it, and the foul stench of. . . Fish? I feel a rumble as one of the trees come crashing to the ground somewhere in the forest. Shortly after, the creature bursts out into the clearing, or should I say the mutt?

As soon as I lay my eyes upon the beast, a sense of familiarity graces me, causing me to both gasp and groan at the same time.

_You've got to be fucking kidding me. Seriously? Are we really doing this?_

The mutt stands on two hoofed legs, standing about as tall as truck and hunching its muscular body forward as it snarls and growls at us. Its body is covered in a thick layer of matted dark brown fur, while it's large head rests forward, pointed with rows of razor sharp teeth. On its back, protrudes a fin that is also layered in the same shaggy brown fur.

Minoshark. The Minotaur mixed with a shark mutt that I faced in the Hunt Trial. Of course they would choose it to go after me again. Well you know what Gamemaker's? I beat this fucker once, I can do it again. In addition, this time, I have an army of wolves at my hand.

Minoshark roars at me again, this time breathing out a shocking stench of rotten fish and death. I'm forced to turn away, covering my nose as my eyes water in disgust.

"Ewww, have a breath mint please," I snap at the mutt. The shark head of the mutt drools from its gaping mouth, the slobber splashing on the ground and causing me to cringe with disgust.

"Alright, I think it's time to put you out of your miserable life. Which one of you fuckers came up with the idea of this monstrosity anyways?!" I shout out, hoping the Gamemaker's will pick up my words. Whoever created this is sick, I can almost hear their laughter from back in the Capitol.

Minoshark tries to charge, however he is kept at bay by the growling wolves. He roars at them as they bare their teeth, howling passionately. I know how to take this monstrosity down quick and easily. I'll make it much more painful as well, just because of how annoying he is.

"Scar!" I bark at the black furred wolf. Scar's gaze shoots towards me, looking attentively.

"Fetch me a rock, about the size of a small ball would be preferred," I command. He blinks to show he understands, before he bounds off somewhere behind us. It doesn't take him long luckily, because I'm not exactly sure how much longer the wolves will be able to keep Minhoshark from attacking.

Scar drops a black rock in my hand, with some pretty hefty weight to it. I throw it up to myself to get a feel for it, before I grab it from the air and aim. With as much intensity that I can muster, I haul the rock at Minoshark, hearing the crack as it connects with his nose. This is followed by a pained roar, as Minoshark collapses to the ground. I stare triumphantly at Minoshark's shaking body.

Now it is finally time to put an end to him, once and for all.

"Look at that my young ones, dinner!" I shout out. With these words, each and every wolf aside from Sabre, pounces onto Minoshark. I hear the mutt roar and whimper, as the wolves ravage his body, ripping into it and devouring it every bit that they can.

I watch sinisterly, as I can see Minoshark rolling around, trying to escape. His efforts are futile however, and after a long and painful effort, Minoshark goes still. I swing my leg over and allow myself to slide off of Sabre, stroking his head as I watch them eating Minoshark's corpse.

"You may eat as well Sabre, you need a good meal," I inform him softly.

_Are you sure Master? Would you like us to save some for you? he asks. I shake my head and smile._

"No it is fine Sabre, this is my treat to you all. Enjoy," I assure him. With that, he leaps with ferocity, sailing through the air until he lands on Minoshark, digging his claws into his body and clamping his jaws down on a chunk of his flesh.

I laugh to myself, satisfied with my efforts, as I watch the blood pool onto the ground, and as chunks of ripped up meat gets thrown from the feast. If I can do this to a ferocious mutt, how can any other tribute stand a chance?

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Again, sorry, it's been about another month. I've had heaps of schoolwork to catch up on and it's been taking up the majority of my time. Not only that, but I honestly just wasn't that motivated to write this chapter. Mainly because I only got ONE review on the last chapter, thank you Tom, but still, one review kind of is a kick in the gut. So honestly, I'm not even really expecting many reviews for this one, or the next, or that much more of the story. As much as I would love to get them, I just can't see it happening.**

**It makes me sad that it has come down to this, but I really cannot control if you guys review or not. That's why next story, the events of the story will be heavily dependent on who reviews. I'm not really angry, or disappointed, just sad. Because none of you are really reviewing, I don't know who is still reading, and who would be reading this. At this stage, to me I'm only writing this story for the few that still review, and my own enjoyment.**

**To the guest that reviewed one of the chapters recently, since I can't reply to you personally, I'll have to do it here. I appreciate your constructive criticism, so thanks for the review. As much as you believe that there shouldn't be interviews and chariot rides or whatever in these games since it is the first, remember those are your own ideas. This is my interpretation of the 1st Hunger Games, and I believe it was like this. As for the gore, I do believe it's necessary. It's the Hunger Games, and that is the reality of it, especially if I want to delve into detail and make it a truly frightening and horrifying sounding game. The gore that I go into shows the insanity of some tributes, as well as detailing it to make it sound more realistic. Again, I appreciate your thoughts, but this is how I interpret the 1st Hunger Games. I'm glad to see you have enjoyed it though :)**

**So that ends the authors note guys, feel free to review if you want which you probably won't, I'm assuming you are likely silently reading this and then leaving once you're done. I'll try get the next chapter out a lot sooner than I did this one, hopefully I'll be more motivated this time. The name of the next chapter is on my profile, and as always, see you soon.**

**-Ares**

* * *

_Remaining Districts:_

**District 1**

**District 2**

**District 3**

**District 4**

**District 5**

**District 6**

**District 7**

**District 8**

**District 9**

**District 10**

**District 11**

**District 12**

* * *

_Remaining Tributes:_

**Haim Peridot - District 1?**

**Theia Cartelle - District 1**

**Nero Koeing - District 2**

**Ladonna Gully - District 2**

**Dayta Owens - District 3**

**Liesel Varner - District 3**

**Rhode Nerida - District 4**

**Minho Lyun - District 5**

**Laelia Webber - District 5**

**Aramid Vicuna - District 6**

**Hera Loughbrook - District 6**

**Atlas Verdini - District 7**

**Phionex Blast - District 7**

**Rexx Kerdom - District 8**

**Libra Spindle - District 8**

**Fletcher Wilds - District 9**

**Vince Rojarze - District 10**

**Cassia Summers - District 10**

**Quinn Holland - District 11**

**Whent Lush - District 12**

* * *

_Alliances:_

_United Pack 1:_** Rexx D8, Libra D8, Hera D6**

_United Pack 2:_** Vince D10, Phionex D7, Liesel D3**

_United Pack 3:_** Minho D5, Aramid D6, Atlas D7**

_Terrific Trio:_** Ladonna D2, Cassia D10, Whent D12**

_Loners:_

**Theia D1**

**Nero D2**

**Dayta D3**

**Rhode D4**

**Fletcher D9**

**Quinn D11**

_?:_

**Haim D1?**

* * *

_Killers:_

**Fletcher Wilds- **3

**Theia Cartelle- **1(2?)


	39. Ridden by Rage

_Day 6: Morning_

* * *

**Vince Rojarze, 18, D10:**

I jolt awake, very aware that I have been awoken by constant bickering around me. It had started to drift into my own dream, and it transformed from me being back at the farm with the cattle, into them all being slaughtered by a bloody fight between Phionex and Liesel.

They had shouted constant insults and accusations at each other, while they slashed at one another with their axes and katana's. It had gotten so out of hand, that I woke up suddenly, a sour taste in my mouth with a sick feeling in my stomach.

"I know you types Three, and all you are is full of betrayal and blood lust."

"Oh because District 7 is so innocent themselves? Right hand men to Six and their mayhem."

"Bite me Liesel."

"I could bite your throat out if I wanted to, but I made a promise, because you know. . . not all of us reflect the actions of our District." This statement pierces the cold air, causing everything to become silent. I don't hear Liesel nor Phionex say anymore, so I take this as my cue.

Groaning, I groggily lift myself up into a sitting position, squinting due to the light that hits my face. I feel dirty, and disgusting, after spending five days in this arena. It's safe to say that we have all already had it with this game. I especially, am worn from the excessive arguing from these two. It's been like this from the moment I offered Liesel a place in our alliance, since the rest of our alliance is currently missing. Still, it's better than dead.

Once I'm able to open my eyes up, they wander slightly, scanning the area. Liesel stares off randomly, eyes tired and blank, while Phionex glances at me, appearing rather guilty. She knows that they woke me up. Usually, it's only after they have finished one of their little arguments, that Phionex notices that she has upset me. She gives that same guilty look every time, yet she goes back to verbally fighting Liesel shortly after.

Her expression quickly changes when she sees me looking at her, causing her to smile and jump up onto her feet.

"Vince! You're awake!" she says gleefully, bending down to me and embracing me in a hug. I blink with surprise, gradually going on to hug back as I collect my thoughts. I can't be too sure, but I may see Liesel glance angrily over in this direction, before turning away. Phionex pulls away, looking back at me with a delicate smile, her eyes caring and soft, compared to how they just were after her argument.

I smile back at her, before raising my hands and rubbing my eyes.

"Did you get any sleep?" I murmur. She hesitates, before shaking her head with guilt. My eyebrows raise in concern at her answer.

"No, I didn't," she says, biting her lip.

"Why not Phi? Liesel was on watch," I whisper with exasperation. She sighs, before sitting down with her legs crossed.

"I'm sorry Vince, I just. . . Don't trust her," she says softly, glancing back at Liesel before looking down at the floor.

"Hey. . ." I say coolly, as I raise my hand to her chin, and slightly tilt it up so she looks at me.

"I get that you're trying to protect us both. I'm extremely thankful for that. We can trust Liesel, Phi. I know we can."

She purses her lips, before making her eyes meet mine.

"I understand Vince, but I just can't trust her yet," she says hoarsely. I sigh, before nodding my head.

"I respect that. You will come to trust her in your own time, I'm sure of it," I reply. She doesn't say anything, instead her eyes wander back down to the ground.

"At the very least, wake me up if you don't feel comfortable leaving Liesel alone, so you can get some sleep yourself," I instruct her softly. She nods, before getting up and going over to our packs and supplies.

"I'm just going to interrupt here," Liesel's harsh voice cuts through the silence. I direct my vision towards her, seeing that Phionex shoots an aggravated glare at her.

"Just exactly what are we doing? What are we making our mission?" Liesel asks flatly, lifting herself up and stretching her back.

"What's it to you? Since when do you care?" Phionex snaps, before forcefully opening one of the packs.

"I care about my survival, and I care about getting through this. As far as I can tell, I'm stuck with you two, so I need to know just exactly what we are planning on doing," Liesel says with deadly sweetness to her tone and narrowed eyes as she glares at Phionex. Phionex stares right back at her, shaking with anger before I break the tenseness.

"We are looking for the rest of our alliance Liesel," I say quietly.

"Okay, so that's not what we are doing anymore," she replies, crossing her arms. My eyes widen, as I see Phionex out of the corner of my eye freeze. Her expression is livid, while her mouth is bared and angry.

"Give me one good reason why I should not kill her right now," Phionex spits out through gritted teeth.

"Because like it or not fire bird, I am your ally and you need my input," Liesel responds. Before Phionex can reach for her axe, I step in front of her, with my hands reached out.

"Woah calm down Phi, just take a deep breath, let me handle this. It cannot end well with blood shed," I say calmly, my hand lightly touching Phionex's wrist. Her rage filled eyes land on me, after a moment becoming softer. She becomes looser, and murmurs curses underneath her breath, before lowering her hand away from her axe.

"Okay, now Liesel, why shouldn't we be looking for our allies? They are our friends," I tell her.

"Correction Vince, they are _your _friends, not mine. Firstly, do you really think they are going to respond that well to me? I'm from District 3, and look how fire bird here has already acted towards me."

"It's Phionex!" She growls from behind my back. Liesel rolls her eyes, before raising them back to me.

"Sure, whatever. Point is, they will likely want my head, because no offence to your friends, but they aren't as nice as you," she says, her voice becoming softer towards the end. I can't help but smile at this statement, until Phionex stomps on my foot. I cry out in pain, hopping on one foot while Phionex stands beside me.

"Get on with it Three," she says, stone cold. Liesel's eyebrows furrow in annoyance, before she crosses her arms.

"You want me to call you Phionex? Then stop calling me Three, and call me by _my_ name," she says through gritted teeth. Phionex doesn't respond, instead she stands staring at her, as tense as ever. Liesel sighs, before continuing.

"Look, my point is, you want to get through this game, then you have got to play the game. Eliminate the competition, survive, it's all part of it. I suggest possibly hunting for people, and doing what the Gamemaker's want us to do," she suggests. Phionex snorts, before turning to me.

"I told you she was just a traitor from District 3. She wants us to do what the Gamemaker's want, I've never heard anything more supportive of the Capitol in my life," Phionex snarls, looking venomously at Liesel.

"Hey! I'm trying to save my own bacon as well, I'm only suggesting what will benefit our. . . 'Alliance', if you want to call it that," she says defensively. Before either Phionex or I can respond, she continues on.

"Besides, I have another point, maybe it'll be more understandable to you, Phionex," she says quietly. I catch Phionex's eyebrows raise with surprise momentarily, before she puts on her same hard glare.

"And what is that?" Phionex asks firmly.

"From the way Vince described you guys getting separated, I would say it was done purposely, I don't think it was just a random storm," she says, twisting her mouth.

"Then what was it?" I ask with confusion. Liesel looks at me.

"It sounds exactly like something Edison Belkry would have done," she replies. Faint recognition graces the back of my mind.

"Edison Belkry. . . The former Mayor of Three?" I ask.

"How do you know he created it?" Phionex asks suspiciously.

"I lived in District 3 for long enough to see the type of work Belkry did. I think he did it on purpose, to split you guys up," she says solemnly. There is a moment of silence, where none of us speak. A sick feeling begins to stew in my gut, similarly to how it had when I was woken up. Something about Liesel's words, I just know how bad that is.

"Where is this going?" Phionex asks, breaking the silence. Liesel sighs, leaning back against a tree.

"If the Gamemaker's split you up, it's because they want you to be split up. They aren't going to want you to reconnect any time soon, they'll make sure of that. It would be too dangerous to go looking for the rest of your alliance," Liesel says softly, looking the sincerest she ever has.

"No," Phionex speaks up, shaking her head. Liesel's face falls, her eyes becoming angry.

"We are not just going to leave them out there, we can't!" Phionex cries out, her eyes watering slightly, although I cannot tell if it's from anger or fear.

"Hold on Phi, Liesel may have a point," I say softly. Phionex whisks around so that she can face me, her eyes looking shocked and betrayed. I feel a slight twinge of guilt, but I shake it off and look at her.

"What. . .?" Phionex mutters, tears spilling from her eyes. I sigh, putting my hands on her shoulders.

"If it's true, then we would be putting them in more danger by searching for them. What if they. . . Killed one of us, to make a point?" I ask, struggling to choke out the last part. Phionex doesn't say anything, she instead stares at me helplessly. She nods slightly, breathing heavily as she lowers her gaze to the floor.

"I would never forgive myself if they killed one of us to make an example, to force us from meeting up, to stop us from looking. It's probably safest for everyone, if we keep our distance for a while. That way, none of us should get hurt," I say firmly.

"But. . . Atlas," Phionex squeaks timidly.

"You'll see him again, don't worry," I say, taking her in for a hug. I wrap my arms around her body, her warmth projecting onto me, and the faint scent of the shampoo she had used in the Capitol lingering in her hair. The moment is interrupted by a cough that comes from Liesel.

"Sorry to intrude on your. . . Uh, intimate moment, but what are you guys deciding on?" She asks awkwardly. I let go of Phionex, turning to Liesel who stands steadily waiting. It seems that both of them look at me, both awaiting an answer. What do I say? What are we going to do? I try to think of our options for a moment, however I can only come back with one. One that echoes constantly through my mind. I look back at Liesel, eyes trained on her own.

"We play the game," I say quietly. The words feel foreign, coming from my mouth. Likely because of the meaning behind them, the death and cost that they represent. It's unlike me. It's so unlike me. No matter how much this is the case however, I cannot deny that times are changing. I've been thrust into this situation; I need to take care of it. Unfortunately, the only way of taking care of it, is to 'play the game'. I twist my mouth in concern, my eyes glancing back at Phionex to see her reaction.

As I expected, she doesn't seem very phased. Phionex is undoubtedly a lot more willing to kill than I am, that's a known fact. What she does seem surprised by however, is my answer. Basically my acceptance to needing to kill other people.

Liesel on the other hand, smiles and nods her head.

"Good call," she chuckles.

"Where do we begin?" I ask hesitantly.

"You've got to work out who your greatest threats are. Once you do that, you have to try and take them down," she says. With those words, my confidence drops slightly.

"You mean. . . Someone like Fletcher?" I breathe. She nods her head, causing Phionex to groan.

"So first she somehow managed to convince us not to look for our allies, and now she expects us to try and search and kill Fletcher of all people?! She wants us to die, I'm sure of it," Phionex bursts out, staring accusingly at Liesel.

"That's not what it is like at all, _Phionex_," she replies with extra spite put into Phionex's name.

"If one of us are to get out, Fletcher has to die at some point. He may be a brute, but he is pretty damn stupid. With a well thought out plan, we can take him down easy, and we probably wouldn't even have to lay a finger on him," Liesel reasons. All this earns from Phionex is a snort, followed by a 'one of _us _to get out' under her breath. Luckily it doesn't seem like Liesel heard.

"Okay fine, I get it, you probably don't want to go for Fletcher right away. Then we can aim for someone else," Liesel suggests. I raise my eyebrow, questioning who she may be thinking of.

"You have someone in mind?" I ask. She smirks, nodding her head and looking back and forth between Phionex and I.

"Who?" Phionex asks bluntly.

"Quinn," Liesel replies. It seems that both Phionex and I are taken aback by this suggestion, as it is probably the person we least suspected for her to say.

"Quinn? From District 11? Why?" Phionex asks sounding mildly interested.

"Because, he was the first person to get to the Cornucopia, meaning he would have gotten some decent supplies, and also, because we barely know anything about him. Tell me, how often did you notice him in the Capitol?" She challenges. Both Phionex and I stammer, before none of us can answer.

"See? You two barely knew what District he came from. He's survived so far, so he must be doing something right. He has been purposefully staying under the radar, and I personally deem that as a threat," she states.

"Why is that?" I ask. She gives me a toothy grin, before it turns into a smirk.

"Because, it's what I would do, and what I did. He just did a much better job of it than I did," she shrugs.

"Well, it's not the worst plan," I mutter, deep in thought. I turn to Phionex, who frowns at Liesel.

"What do you say Phi?" She takes a moment to respond, gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes at Liesel.

"This changes nothing Liesel, I still don't trust you. However, I suppose we do it," Phionex says bitterly.

"Let's begin," I sigh, readying myself for the endless arguing that awaits me.

* * *

_Day 6: Afternoon_

* * *

**Laelia Webber, 18, D5:**

Hate. Anger. Fury. It's hard to feel anything else other than these three emotions. It's hard to believe I will ever feel anything else again. I've wandered this arena for about three days, wallowing in my anger, without purpose or will to go on.

I entered this arena with a friend, an ally. One that saved me from death not once, but twice. Now I am left to play alone, after having to watch that friends gruesome death, and have his killer hunt me down straight after, and come so close to killing me.

I clench my eyes shut, warm tears trickling down my cold cheeks as I remember. Should I have just let him find me? Should I have just let Fletcher get ahold of me, and snap my neck? I have nothing left in this life, next to no care about my own wellbeing, and the one friend I made taken from me. The fourth death of the games. I should have been the fifth. Hell, I should have been the second, when Theia almost killed me.

Danix would have hurt over that, but at least he would have been alive. He wouldn't have had to care for me, and make sure I'm okay. Now look where I am. Alone and hurting. It's selfish really, to think that I should have allowed him to feel the way I do. By dying just so he could live on. It wouldn't be fair, just thinking about it now makes me sickened.

I sigh, staring into the embers of the pathetic fire I have blazing. It's not much, just enough to keep somewhat warm for the moment. I've been keeping myself moving around the entire time. I don't trust staying in one single place for too long anymore, doing that last time was responsible for Danix's death.

I'm trying to avoid people on purpose, as I am not at all confident that I could handle anyone in my current state. My leg is still pretty bad, from where Theia stabbed me during the beginning. I've been trying to treat it, but I'm no genius when it comes to medical situations. Not like Danix was. He knew how to help out my wound. I've been trying to replicate what he did when we had finally rested after escaping the Cornucopia, yet I cannot be too sure if I am doing it correctly.

I grind my teeth together, as I slowly pull down my pants once again, preparing myself to have to go through another session of pain. I get the pants down to around my knees, before I get too cold to take them down any further. I sigh as I look at the wound, seeing just how bad it may be. It's actually looking better. That is a shocker, knowing me I would have somehow infected it.

The swelling has actually gone down, leaving an angry red rash around the edge of the wound. The skin there also looks slightly, glossy, although that could be fluid making it look like that. I wince as I touch it, feeling a slight stinging pain as my finger makes contact. No, it is just shiny skin, the type of skin left over after a burn. It's not pus, thank fuck for that.

I wash it lightly, the stinging going down a bit once it has cooled. It sends a shiver down my spine, and goosebumps rise up along my legs and arms. I grit my teeth and continue on. I dab around it to clean and dry it, before pressing another cotton patch over it. After doing so, I wrap a bandage around it, concealing it from the world.

I waste no time with pulling my pants back up, letting out a deep sigh of relief when my legs are once again hidden from the cold air. I lean my head back against a tree, closing my eyes for a brief moment. I wonder what Minho is up to right now. It's weird really, me thinking at all about Minho. We honestly didn't have that much in common, other than we grew up in District 5, that we were both from District 5, and we were both representing District 5.

We pretty much were the only things we had from home, each other. Although we didn't speak too often, we always have that connection, as do most of the other tributes. I know for a fact that he as well, is still alive, that he is still kicking it, in fact he is probably thriving. With his massive United Pack, they would be dominating the game.

The thought of the United Pack causes me to feel a slight twinge of guilt. I could have joined them. Minho had offered for me to have a place in their alliance. What did I do? The stupid idiot that I am, I declined. And for what reason was that? Because I was in an alliance with. . . Danix. My eyes harden, and I feel my face fall into a scowl.

It's all my fault, I had been given an opportunity, and I rejected it. Now look at how it has turned out for me, a dead ally, and nobody to accompany me. Just as I am gritting my teeth in anger, my face relaxes, as I am struck with a sudden occurrence in my mind. I might not be alone for much longer after all. I still have someone that I have somewhat of a connection to. It may not be the strongest, but it's the best one I've got out of any other tribute in this arena, and it might be my best chance left.

Minho is still out there. If I find him, he will let me join, he will keep me safe, I'm sure of it. It's my best bet. I have to take this chance, I cannot give up just yet, I cannot let Danix's death be in vain. Suddenly, I am no longer plagued by sorrow, and my rage towards Fletcher temporarily subsides, and makes room for a small sliver of hope, that lingers in my chest. It tingles, at the idea of potentially reuniting with my District partner.

I raise my eyes up to the sky, my mind enticed deeply in my own thoughts. All of this time, I took Minho for granted, and in all honesty, I was probably not the nicest person to him all the time. He could be a flat out asshole sometimes, but the majority of the time he was sensible, at least that was later on during our stay in the Capitol.

After not much thought, my decision becomes final, and I decide upon gathering my things and searching for Minho and his alliance. I place everything in my backpack, including my untouched food that I had intended on making a start on, despite my lack of hunger. I look around briefly, making sure nobody is in my near vicinity. The coast seems clear, so I continue to pack up.

I zip up my jacket, pulling up my white hood over my head. It used to be a snowy bright white tone, however after six days in the arena, it has turned grimy from dirt and blood. The colour appears slightly browner, but I'm not too fussed on the colour. As long as it does its job, and as long as it doesn't become a part of Fletcher's collection.

After doing this, I am pretty much set to go, yet I'm hesitant to get up. A sense of doubt manages to fill my gut, causing me to question my plan. Will Minho accept me? Or will I be cast away? Or even worse, perhaps I'll be killed. . .

I shake my head profusely, aiming to cast away any doubt I have for this plan. I can't allow myself to lose this possibility, it's all I may have left. Minho is all I have left.

_Yeah, that's if you even find him._

My thought strikes me hard, hurting me in fact, with the sheer truth it holds to it. It's true, I have no clue where Minho could even be. It might take me days to find him, a week even, and that's if one of us doesn't die before that happens.

I grit my teeth, simultaneously producing a frown on my face. It won't happen, I won't stop looking until I find him. I distract myself by continuing to leave. The area I chose was an extremely confined clearing, surrounded by dense trees. It's almost impossible to see anything on the outside of it, as is it difficult to even see anything in here. Despite how secure it appears; I still find trouble in bringing myself to stay.

I stamp on the small flames so they go out, making sure to do it with my wounded leg so that I can support myself with my healthy one. I wince with every collision with the ground, but I push myself through it, refusing to give in to this small task. Once the fire is out, I slip the strap of my pack over my shoulder. My eyes widen when I feel slight stinging, as the strap applies pressure against the thorn stabs from the bush that I hid in from Fletcher.

I don't cry out in annoyance, I don't burst into tears, all I do, is stand numbly, waiting for the pain to fade away. It's hard for me to bring myself to do either at this point. Most of the time I'm angry, while others I cannot help but cry. This time however, I am simply worn, fatigued, through with it all. I have been dragged through the mud so far in this game, I've almost hit the lowest of the low, I've basically been condemned to suffer this shit. For what reason? Because I'm from District 5?

It makes sense, District 0 hated District 5 during the Dark Days, in fact, the only District that they hated more than District 6 or District 2 after they were forced to betray them, was District 5. And that was entirely based on their evident fear of us.

I bet they feel oh so high and mighty now, sitting behind their screens possibly miles away from us, with all the District's under their control. That's not entirely true actually. They never really gained control over District 5, yeah they sent their Peacekeeper's, but they barely gave much of a fight. Hell, the Peacekeeper's practically became District 5 citizens. Some of them are the leaders of one of the deadliest cartels there is. They are particularly fond of the Illegal Underground Fighting League, or the IUFL as we like to call it.

No, I can't allow myself to get off topic, I need to stay focused on my goal. I say that to myself intending for it to be because of that reason, but really, I just don't think I can bring myself to think about home right now, no matter how corrupt and dangerous it is. Nowhere is more dangerous than this arena right now.

I shake my head, tugging myself back into reality. I bend over, reaching out and wrapping my slender fingers around the cool handle of my axe. The infamous axe of Laelia Webber, it's already seen so much death and violence. It hasn't inflicted death itself, but it has certainly been around it. It's a constant reminder of pain and suffering, and most infuriatingly, Fletcher, fucking, Wilds.

His blood stains the blade of the axe, now having dried and become crusty in texture. It now is tinged a brownish red colour, making it appear it had been spilled a while ago. In reality, it has only been three days.

The worst thing about seeing his blood, is knowing he is still out there, still alive. He could still be hunting me for all I know. When he had me trapped in that bush that night, I had thought it was the end. I was sure I was going to die. Somehow, Fletcher had stopped mid swing, looking in another direction. I had seen his face, it was suspicious, curious, but mostly humored. He must have heard something, and assumed it was me.

My blood boils as I stare intently at Fletcher's blood, my muscles becoming tense and my grip on the axe becoming tight. My body feels energized, it shakes with adrenaline and perhaps with a little rage. My instincts, my senses, the call to me, they want me to finish the job. They want me to kill Fletcher. And I do want to, I would like nothing more. Except one thing. One thing that shines through these intentions, and overpowers my desire to slaughter Fletcher.

Finding Minho. I need to do it. If I find Minho, I can convince them to go after Fletcher, and it would be much safer. I have to think smart about this. I've never been the smartest person, nor am I much of a strategist, but I really need to be now. If I'm to ever kill Fletcher, I need to play my cards right.

Killing him can wait, because right now, I need to focus on something else.

I need to find the only person I have left.

* * *

_Day 6: Evening_

* * *

**Haim Peridot, 18, D1:**

I am alive. Damn right I'm alive. This whole time, I've been alive, and there was never a doubt from me that I was going to die. I mean, yeah. . . I came close to it, I cannot deny that, but of course me being me, I pulled through.

What has led to this though? Allow me to reminisce.

. . .

_I'm panting, barely managing to continue on. My whole body aches, especially my left hip, where Theia had first struck me with a fucking ninja star. . . whatever it is, of all things, and then again with a rock. Perspiration coats my forehead, while my lungs burn from the heavy breathing they're enduring. _

_My throat is raw from yelling, as the bear chases me after I managed to escape it. It had reached me, but not before I slashed it in the face with my spear, taking out its eye and angering it further. On the bright side, I slowed it down._

_I can hear it's deafening raw from behind, causing me to go that little extra harder as I burst out onto the edge clearing of this profound island. Breathing raggedly, I look wildly to my left, seeing Theia standing on a bridge, about a quarter of the way through. She stares at me in disbelief, absolutely shocked that she is seeing me._

_That doesn't last much longer, as she and I hear the roar of the bear, and we both begin to run. I sprint as hard as I can towards the bridge, while she balances herself, as she walks across the bridge. I reach the rickety old bridge, taking a deep and very much needed breath before stepping on the wooden planks. Fuck I hate heights._

_I feebly make my way across, struggling with my injured hip. The moment is tense, like a race to be first. I glance up, my stomach dropping when I see Theia stood safely on the other island. It's not that, which makes me feel ill, but rather, seeing Theia saw away at the rope._

_I am not able to do anything; I cannot get there fast enough! Despite this, I refuse to stop. Haim Peridot never gives up, not until he draws his last breath. I hobble as fast as I can, staring at Theia's face pleadingly. As much as I hate to admit it, it isn't fake. I almost beg for mercy with this expression, and for a moment, I almost think that she might accept that mercy, that she might want a genuine and fair fight to go down._

_How wrong I am._

_Her eyes are full of nothing but resent, and hatred. She stares at me, face scrunched in loathing. Her gaze drifts away towards the rope, just as it finishes cutting through. The whole bridge jerks sideways, causing me to almost fall off the side. I manage to grab onto the only rope holding it up, feeling my eyebrows raise in worry. I look at Theia one last time, to see that she has started on the second rope._

_I give one last ditch effort, pulling myself towards the other island as much as possible. There almost isn't a point, I'm only about halfway across. This is it. This is how I die. Falling off a fucking bridge. I don't make it very far, after about ten seconds, I feel a shift happen._

_The bridge instantly doesn't feel supported, and I feel a falling sensation as I begin to drop. I cry out in panic, as I see myself begin to fall into the abyss. I'm almost ready to accept my fate, until I become aware of the rough sensation of the rope grasped in my left hand. It's a matter of seconds that I take action in. My right hand grabs the rope with lightning speed, now both my hands are gripping as hard as they possibly can. _

_I clench my eyes shut, as I feel the sensation of the drop, lasting for only a few more seconds, until the attached end of the bridge stops the rest of it from falling. The bridge jerks with momentum, almost ripping my arms out of their sockets. Despite this, I continue to hold onto the rope. I refuse to let go._

_I am breathing heavily, while my eyes open wildly, glancing around for a way of escape. I look up just in time however, to see a large furry ball bound over the edge of the island. The bear roars as it falls, slashing at everything around it. My eyes widen, and I press my body against the stony wall of the island, managing to just avoid the bear lashing out at me. _

_I watch in shock, as the bear plummets downwards, growing smaller by the second, while its roar becomes less and less audible. As far as I can see, there is no ground for it to land on. Who knows how long it would be falling for, how long I could have been falling for._

_I look up to see how far I have fallen, my heart stopping when I see that I am almost at the end of the bridge, meaning I still have the length to climb. I grit my teeth, pulling myself up with as much strength as I can muster. I grunt with every pull, perspiration becoming much more plentiful on my forehead. My whole body shakes with tension, the idea that I am hanging over a death drop overly affecting my thought process._

_I look up once again, to be even more disappointed. I have only made it a few feet. Not only that, but my body isn't capable of much more physical activity. It is worn, fatigued, pained, so much so that I am close to having to let go. The effort is physically too much; I am basically unable to make it back up._

_I groan, softly knocking my head against the cliff face. I look to my left in desperation, expecting nothing of it, witnessing the jagged rocky wall. But that's not all I see. In the face of the cliff, appears to be some sort of cavern, some haven carved out of the island. Best of all, it is literally a foot to my left, exactly right next to me. _

_I swing the rope side to side, until I have enough momentum to thrust myself right in front of the cave. Doing this, I leap into the cave, landing on the cold hard ground, and collapsing into a flat position._

_I lie here, breathing heavily with exhaustion I don't believe I have ever felt, my hip feeling like it is on fire, and my whole body aching in a throbbing sensation. Regardless of this, I made it. I am alive._

. . .

I have been in this cavern for about three days now, and since then, only one person has died. Danix, the used and abused from District 4. That must mean the games have been running relatively slowly. If I was to judge the Gamemaker's, I would assume that they would be planning on causing some events soon. Hell, half the tributes could be fighting one another right now and somehow surviving.

I still highly doubt that. Since that is the case, I'm betting on the Gamemaker's going after someone that has been out of action, who has been doing pretty much nothing for the past few days. That someone could very well be me. Since the games have been deathless for these past three days, I know that death is coming soon, and I refuse to be the one that receives it.

Today is the day I get out of this fucking cave. I rest against the wall of the cave, propped up so that I can access my supplies, and tend to my hip wound. So far, it has earned some severe bruising, I'm talking about purple, blue, even black bruising. It isn't an appeasing sight, I can say that safely.

Luckily, nothing is broken, the bleeding stopped relatively early, and there is no sign of infection. The bad thing however, is that it is weak, and very sore. The rest of my body is kind of stiff from the lack of activity, but I have had time to nurse myself back to a more suitable condition.

All of this that has happened to me, it has not put me in the joking mood. I am pissed. I am so fucking pissed. In addition, I'm determined. I'm going to destroy people, I'm going to destroy Theia.

I grunt as I push myself up, stretching for the first time in a few days. I grab my backpack, with all my food, water, and supplies, hauling it onto my back. I unfortunately lost the long hunting knife that I had in a sheath, most likely in the bear attack. I did however, manage to keep hold of my spear.

I somehow stabbed it through my back pack, which got it stuck and thankfully kept it with me when I was hanging off the edge of the bridge. It rests next to where I had been sitting against the wall, waiting to be used again. I bend over, wincing with the movement of my hip, and grabbing its sleek shaft. I find the hole where it stabbed through, and shift it through so I don't have to somehow hold it when I'm making my way up.

I hobble towards the entrance to the cave, hearing the powerful wind, and feeling it's chill. It's amazing I haven't somehow frozen because of it. I have kept myself warm though.

The bridge is swinging in the breeze, luckily in front of the cave instead of away from it. Here goes nothing. I grip the scratchy rope with both hands, readying myself to haul my body up. I let out some type of demonic wail when I tense up the leg that is on the side of my hip. The pain causes me to drop the rope and stumble back a bit.

"Ahhh, fuck," I spit with frustration. I kick the wall in annoyance, instantly regretting it when the sharp pain shoots through my leg. I need to stop injuring myself, at this rate, I'm going to cause my own damn death.

But my common sense is hard to take seriously when I'm in a mood such as this, reckless and pissed off. It infuriates me that I have been reduced to this state.

I shake my head, my expression venomous. I grit my teeth as I stride to the rope, grabbing it with intensity. After doing this, I jump up, grabbing onto the rope once again. The pain pulsates throughout the area of my wound, but I push through it.

I drag my body up, then going on to reach up and grab a higher length of rope, and then once again dragging my body up with it. This is the process I have to do. Over and over, I do this same step, growing ever more strained as I get closer to the top. I can't help but let the thought that the rope might snap, grace the back of my mind. Even if that was the case, it's either stay and starve, or dehydrate, or get killed by the Gamemaker's, or I could actually try and get out of this crevasse.

As I begin to near the top, I start to hear things other than the wind. I haven't heard anything but the wind for these past three days. Now I can hear birds, and crickets. It motivates me even further, pushing me to go the last few feet as fast as possible and with as much effort as I can muster.

I reach a stage where the rock become grass, and dirt. I continue to make it up further, until my head finally passes the ground, I can once again see the top of the island.

Finally, I have made it back up to the top. I am once again in these games. I grab the post that the rope is attached to, and launch myself forward. Instead of collapsing on hard cold rock, I rest on soft and plentiful green grass. I did it. My eyes are heavy from the effort, and my body screams at me to rest. But I am still filled with adrenaline pumping through my veins. I push myself up, looking around as if I have been transported to another dimension.

I was only here a few days ago, yet it feels so new. The tall thick trees, the deep green tint to everything around me. I look behind me, seeing where the bridge used to be. Across from me is the other island, the one Theia would have escaped to. Well, there is no way of getting to her at this stage, I'm going to have to wait for a while.

Surprisingly, I'm not even that upset. In fact, I barely feel like hunting Theia. I only want to heal myself at this stage, stay out of the spotlight. There will be a time that I try to find Theia, and kill her in a very dire matter. That just won't be now.

I slowly get up off of the ground, brushing myself off and scanning the area. There doesn't really look like there has been much activity in this area since Day 3. The thing is about where I am, it's very open. I need to get out of this area, asap. In addition, I just don't like it, full of bad memories.

Just as I am about to walk away, I hear something loud and sudden. My eyes widen at it, as it instantly reminds me of the bear. A low and loud growl erupts from the trees. I whisk towards the direction it comes from, my hand reaching towards my spear and prying it from my pack.

I hold it outwards, readying it to stab at anything that comes bursting from those trees. I am not doing this, not now. I wince as I hear it again, causing me to realize how jittery I am. What is happening to me? The growl causes birds to erupt from the trees, flying away in a tight flock. My eyes become rounded with suspense, as I continue to wait for it to attack. The growl doesn't sound human, whatsoever.

I almost jump out of my skin when I hear a sudden thud hit the ground on my left. My eyes shoot to the object, seeing a round shaped rock looking thing. I turn to it, carefully picking it up and examining it. It has a strange texture to it, rather soft, or leathery. It appears to be wrapped around a rock of some sort, kept in place with some sort of string.

Is this that sponsor thing that the Capitol was talking about? Now rather intrigued, and a little excited, I rip the string of and unwrap what is inside. Maybe it's some sort of medicine, or a weapon, oh perhaps a grenade.

I am disappointed when all there is, is a rock, like I had first predicted. I examine the rock to see if there is anything special about it, but there is literally nothing. I toss it over the edge in frustration, and am almost about to do the same with what it was wrapped in. That is before I see what is on it.

The material is dark, except on one side, where it is coated in a chalky white powder. That is not the thing I deem as strange however. The white side is actually a note, written in red. My eyes widen at two things, at the fact that the letters are written in blood, and at what it says.

_Turn Around._

I turn around, ducking just in time as two blades are slashed at my chest. The figure charges at me, before I again duck and take their legs out from beneath them. I gasp as I feel the shooting pain in my hip once again, which respectively makes me take a few steps back instead of fighting the tribute.

The tribute gets up, horrifying me when I see what has happened to them. Nero. The District 2 boy snarls at me, foaming from the mouth and covered in blood. His eyes are glassy and bloodshot, staring at me with unquenchable hatred. He wears a necklace made from animal bones, which to my horror, are the exact same colour as the powder on the note. He must have grinded up the bones and used the powder to make the material of the note white.

That isn't the worst thing however, I notice that from Nero's stomach, there is a large patch of skin that is missing. A patch that is large enough to fit the note I am holding.

* * *

_Day 6: Evening_

* * *

**Nero Koeing, 18, D2:**

Haim thrusts away my note in disgust, rubbing his hands profusely on his jacket. He looks once again at where I tore my skin away to use for the note, and begins to dry retch. He slouches slightly, gagging at the ground while his spear supports his body, held like a staff.

He looks at me in disbelief, looking rather sick in the face.

"Man my stomach is weak at the moment, but what the fuck?!" He shouts in horror, pointing at my stomach and spitting on the ground. I don't answer him, I just stare at him, shaking in rage. He shakes his head, groaning weakly.

"Come on brother, that's just. . . Not sanitary," he complains.

_"You are. . . no brother of mine," _I snarl at him, breathing heavily with anticipation. He looks at me in exasperation, before frowning.

"Sure, but, did you really need to do that to yourself, like, seriously?" He sighs. Again, I do not answer him, instead I continue to eye him down. He does some sort of little smirk, before running his fingers through the front of his dark blonde hair.

"So, come to finish me off I assume?" He asks, playing around with his spear.

"_Come to destroy you? Yes," _I respond solemnly. He chuckles at that, before looking back at me.

"Ah, sorry, not really in the mood, especially not to fight someone that is slowly flaying themselves," he informs me.

_"You're not going anywhere,"_ I growl at him. He bellows out a laugh, before wiping a tear away and shaking his head.

"Yeah, not happening bro." Haim begins to walk off, until he is stopped in his tracks by a miniature knife that I toss at his feet. It stabs the ground right where he is about to step, causing him to stop and look back at me, his face stern and angry.

"Look, Nero, I don't want to have to fight you right now, really just went through a shit storm these past three days, I just need a break," he says through gritted teeth.

_"You will fight me! And I will kill you!"_ My words roar louder than I have ever roared before. Haim's eyes widen, looking at me in shock. That shock turns to disgust, as he begins to back away.

"Your eyes, they're bleeding," he says in a shaky voice. I feel the trickle of blood begin to run down my cheeks, and down the sides of my nose. I don't wipe it away, I leave it. Let it intimidate him.

_"That doesn't matter. . . what matters. . . is me killing you," _I hiss. I charge forward, raising my machetes above my head. Haim's eyes go wide, as he leaps to the side to avoid me.

"_This. . . is for hurting me," _I grunt, as I slam the machete down towards his arm. He pulls it out of the way just in time, giving himself the ability to recover. He also thrusts his fist towards my face. I feel a blinding pain crack into my nose, knocking my head backwards with force. I sprawl back on the ground in shock, still not being used to being able to feel pain again.

I roll over just in time to avoid the sharp end of Haim's spear, which drives into the ground directly where I had just lay. While the spear is stuck in the ground, I take the opportunity to jump to my feet and attack Haim. I grab his shoulders and throw him several feet away from me. He flies through the air, landing on the ground with a thud. I hear the air leaving his body, as he wheezes to catch his breath.

I leap through the air, landing on Haim and pinning him down. I grunt as I smash my fist into his left cheek bone, and again, and then again. The next one gets him in the stomach, while my left hand slaps him across the face. He tries desperately to shift me off, but somehow he isn't able to overpower me. He cries out in pain as I accidentally knee him around his waist, causing me to smile sinisterly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a glint of silver shining in the evening sunset. I turn my head to see one of my machetes, which I grab slowly to make sure Haim can see it. He struggles even harder now, likely because he is faced with the possibility of death. Why am I saying possibility? It's imminent.

I raise the machete above my head, grinning with lunacy as I am about to thrust the blade between his eyes. However, as I lower it down with as much intensity as I can muster, I feel a hand gripping forcefully on my wrist. I look down to see that Haim has managed to pry an arm free, and is restraining mine from killing him with as much power as he has left.

I grab the machete with my left hand instead, and once again I go to do the same thing. This time the machete gets a little farther, but Haim manages to get his other arm free, and grabs ahold of mine before I can kill him. The fact that he has done this now begins to make me incredibly rage ridden. I grab both sides of the machete, now pushing it down towards his neck.

Haim fights against it, pushing my arms back as hard as he possibly can. But I know he cannot stop it this time. He is out of energy, and out of luck. I will decapitate him, and he will die. The sounds of Haim struggling is like music to my ears, and I'm almost blissful as I push the sharp blade down towards his neck.

The blade makes contact with his flesh, slightly cutting into it and drawing deep crimson blood. That's about as far as it gets. I hear the crunch of my nose, as Haim's head collides into it with extreme force. I howl in pain, dropping the machete and holding my nose. I stumble back a couple of steps, trying to massage the pain better. That's twice now that Haim has injured my nose. I know it is broken now, I just know it.

My eyes water, as my nose throbs in pain, now beginning to bleed thrice as much as it had before. I feel my legs knocked in the side, taking them out from beneath me and causing me to fall hard onto the ground. I land with a grunt, my mind trying to distinguish what is going on. This fight is so scrappy, that must mean something is wrong with Haim. I fought him once, and I know he is meant to be a lot more skilled than he is being now.

My thoughts briefly go back to when he had cried out in pain, when I had knocked his hip. Perhaps he is injured?

I roll over, preparing myself to get up, until I see Haim standing over the top of me, holding his spear directly over my heart.

"Yield," he shouts breathlessly. I bare my teeth at him, flashing him a grimace before I grab the shaft of the spear. This time I act too quick for him to move, it's almost as if he recognizes what I do, but his reflex time is flawed.

I pull the spear over my head with immense strength, causing him to get rag dolled over me, and fly through the air until he lands on the ground. I reluctantly take a moment to recover, my breathing becoming heavier as my chest begins to burn up with exhaustion.

I feel a tight force wrap around my neck, squeezing tightly and cutting off my airflow. I raise my hands to the force, feeling Haim's tight muscled arm choking my neck. His other hand pushes hard against the back of my head, further adding to the pressure in his choke hold.

"I told you to stop, but you just. . . wouldn't. . . stop," Haim grunts through gritted teeth. I pull my head away as far as I can, which is a struggle within itself, before I sink my teeth into Haim's lower arm.

"Ahhhhh, fuck you, you piece of shit!" He roars, letting go of the chokehold and trying to push my head away from his arm. I open my jaw and grab his two wrists, before bending down and hauling Haim over my shoulders and onto his back. He lands hard, with a sickening thud to add to it. He lets out a shocked cry, before groaning and staring at me helplessly.

This causes me to smile insanely, my eyes deranged and psychotic. I don't even care anymore, I'll admit it. In fact, I quite like it, I like the insanity. Haim appears much too weakened to move anymore, and any movement he makes is sluggish and short.

_"You shouldn't have attacked me. . . at the Cornucopia. You shouldn't have hurt me. . . you shouldn't have thrown that spear at me," _I snarl, pointing towards Haim's discarded spear, which lies a fair distance away from him. Even if he was to make a break for it, I would be able to move twice as fast as he would.

"You were the one that attacked me Nero, you swung two machetes at me while I was unarmed and without any supplies," he says hoarsely. I smirk at this comment, shaking my head.

_"If only I had finished the job,"_ I hiss.

"So you hunted me down, because of that reason, so you could kill me? Huh, well you sure are motivated," he says bitterly.

_"Shut up!" _I growl at him, causing his mouth to shut.

_"District 1 think they're so above everyone else. . . and District 3 think they are always going to be the Capitol's favorites? I'll prove myself to them. . . and with your death. . . that will be the first step in my conquest of the District's. . . I will show them that District 2 is their most devoted. . . their most loyal. . . thei-"_

"You're completely bat shit insane," Haim interjects. I eye Haim down with such hatred, that my body begins to shake.

_"I will not waste any more time." _

I stomp down on Haim's stomach, causing him to jolt in pain. After this, I sit on his chest, right before I make my move.

_"I think I'll do to you what you just tried to do to me. . . so I can watch the life drain from your eyes," _I hiss. Directly after saying this, I raise my hands to his throat, gripping it tightly and squeezing down hard. Haim's eyes bulge, as he gasps and struggles for air. I feel him squirming from beneath me, struggling against my weight, but to no avail.

I knee him once again in the hip, causing him to choke out some type of animal cry, which is actually quite muffled due to his voice box being restricted. Tears begin to well up in his eyes, although I'm not sure if that is due to the pain, or the fact that he knows he is about to die.

There is about twenty more seconds of struggling, until his body begins to relax. His face has gone red with tension, almost purple even. My excitement rises when I begin to see the life drain from his eyes, adrenaline pumping through my system.

There is so much adrenaline, that at first, I barely feel the slashing pain in the side of my neck. I don't need to feel it however, because I see it. I look slightly to my right, to see Haim's arm reached up to my neck, holding onto the hilt of one of my machetes, which happens to be sticking out of the side of my neck.

My grip on Haim's throat begins to relax, as my blood begins to spurt down onto Haim. I barely notice Haim gasping for air as I let go. I only take notice of how dizzy I am, and how Haim pushes me off his chest. I land on the soft grass, the feeling of my body gone. Blood pours from the sides of my mouth, as I begin to gurgle on the crimson red liquid. Bubbles are produced from my mouth, as I try to breath.

My vision has become foggy, so much so that Haim has become only a silhouette, who sits next to me, heaving his breaths. I can only slightly feel the machete being pried from my neck, but that doesn't matter anymore. All I see now is black, there is nothing meaningful left.

The darkness has come to consume me.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry guys. I've been starting off my Author's Note's with those words for the past couple of chapters now, and it's really not good. However, never fear, I am back! So what's the excuse this time? Well, it's exam time in Australia, and I have had so much school work on, I've barely had any free time for anything, not only this. So with that reason, I have some slightly bad news. I am unlikely to be able to write anything for these next couple of weeks, as I have intense revision this week, and exams the two weeks after. Fun, huh?**

**Aside from that, school holidays will be on after that, and you know what that means! Many, many updates! I promise you I'll get at least five chapters out on the holidays, each are roughly 11 thousand words each, so yeah, quite a lot of writing ahead of me to achieve that promise. With this chapter, we hit a milestone of 200,000k words. Guys, that is absolutely insane, like, that's Europa level of story length. . . Okay maybe not yet, but we could get up there. I would like to thank everyone of you that has stuck around through my slow updates, and I cannot wait to start getting these good chapters out. The review issue, fuck it. I won't be mentioning it again; I will only be focusing on the future.**

**So what did you guys think of the chapter? Fifth death of the games has finally graced us, and it was Nero. Not sure how many people would have predicted that one, but hey, this story is all about surprises. Also, Haim is back! I did a really shitty job of making him appear dead, I had to start saying "aww I don't think I'll let him survive" just to throw a spanner into the works. But hey, he is back, and not very happy either. Truth is, Haim was never going to be killed off. What happened to him in the first place was just last minute decision making, and I thought it was a cool idea. And it was! Anyways, I've been rambling on for way too long now, and I'm sure you want to move onto the Eulogy.**

**My one question to you is who do you think will die next, and how/who will kill them? **

**So the name of the next chapter is **_**The Effects of Death, **_**and I'll try get it out when I have the time! Bai!**

**-Ares**

* * *

**Eulogy-**

**Nero: **I can safely say, you were a very fun character to play around with. Now Nero was such an interesting character. He had cancer, and that was basically what substance his character had. But I really didn't see him having much more to him, in terms of being memorable and active during the games. Nero was on his last legs, and he would have died very early on, if not, in the Capitol, if the cancer had stayed. So I cured it. But then I believe it was Music Rules the World pointed out that Nero now had nothing to his character, the cancer was what was special to him. So I made sure he was pretty damn memorable. The rage took over Nero, and he went from being a likeable and normal boy, to a semi-antagonist in the story. I love what I made Nero into, he was always that extra looming threat in the background. It was pretty clear he wasn't going to win, as the Capitol wouldn't want someone like him winning, the question was when he would die. I decided to make it earlier on, despite the possibility for him to become more of a threat later on. I decided that his death would give more time for others to develop instead of killing them off since I believe Nero kind of reached his arc, and thus, he was the fifth death. Overall, I liked Nero, and I thought he added something unique to the story. Now District 2 is left with Ladonna as their last chance for glory.

* * *

_Remaining Districts:_

**District 1**

**District 2**

**District 3**

**District 4**

**District 5**

**District 6**

**District 7**

**District 8**

**District 9**

**District 10**

**District 11**

**District 12**

* * *

_Remaining Tributes:_

**Haim Peridot - District 1**

**Theia Cartelle - District 1**

**Ladonna Gully - District 2**

**Dayta Owens - District 3**

**Liesel Varner - District 3**

**Rhode Nerida - District 4**

**Minho Lyun - District 5**

**Laelia Webber - District 5**

**Aramid Vicuna - District 6**

**Hera Loughbrook - District 6**

**Atlas Verdini - District 7**

**Phionex Blast - District 7**

**Rexx Kerdom - District 8**

**Libra Spindle - District 8**

**Fletcher Wilds - District 9**

**Vince Rojarze - District 10**

**Cassia Summers - District 10**

**Quinn Holland - District 11**

**Whent Lush - District 12**

* * *

_Alliances:_

_United Pack 1:_** Rexx D8, Libra D8, Hera D6**

_United Pack 2:_** Vince D10, Phionex D7, Liesel D3**

_United Pack 3:_** Minho D5, Aramid D6, Atlas D7**

_Terrific Trio:_** Ladonna D2, Cassia D10, Whent D12**

_Loners:_

**Theia D1**

**Haim D1**

**Dayta D3**

**Rhode D4**

**Fletcher D9**

**Quinn D11**

* * *

_Killers:_

**Fletcher Wilds- **3

**Theia Cartelle- **1

**Haim Peridot- **1


	40. The Effects of Death

_Day 6: Late Evening_

* * *

**Ladonna Gully, 18, D2:**

I wince at the sudden noise, the blast echoing throughout the arena. A cannon. Another tribute dead, and another person gone from this world. I hate it. I hate the Hunger Games. I hate all of this death and despair. Someone just died, and neither Whent nor Cassie just batted an eyelid. That was someone we spent all of last week with, someone we knew.

I shut my eyes, feeling the salty tears trail down my cool cheeks, warming them. I want it all to stop. I just want it to end. We have all lost so much already. I have lost so much already. I lost almost everyone back home, and now I just lost one of my friends forever. Naomi. I watched it all play out.

The way her eyes were glistening with tears, full of determination as she pushed Cassie into my arms. The sound of Fletcher's sword going through her stomach, seeing the sword come out the other side, dripping with blood, as well as seeing Naomi's shocked face. She had been so surprised that she had done it.

She had turned to me, blood leaking from her mouth, saying one simple word. _Run. _

Run we did. I had scooped Cassie up, holding her close to me, while I grabbed Whent's shoulder in order to snap him out of his stupor. We ran hard and fast, while Cassie lay motionless and unresponsive in my arms, eyes staring blankly, and the ghost of a smile on her face. Why had she smiled?

It had been only ten more minutes, until we finally heard the boom of three cannons. I had broken down and cried, let out all my emotions, while Whent was left to try and pick up the pieces. I was a shell of what I had used to be, too distraught to act with a clear head, the only thing living on from Naomi being her sacrifice for Cassie. Cassie is all we have left from Naomi.

A couple of days later, we heard another cannon, the slimmest chance that it could be Fletcher slightly making the situation more bearable. Then I saw the shy face of Danix, the District 4 boy. I broke down again, knowing that another innocent tribute had died, and that it was not Fletcher. He was still out there, hunting us down, hunting Cassie down.

Now I am here, still protecting Cassie, still dealing with the pain these games have brought me. Perhaps I was better off when I had no allies? Nobody to worry about, or to care about. Now I have two people to do those exact things over, and one that I have already failed at achieving.

I stare glumly at the sky, waiting for the anthem to play, and the death recap to show who had perished. Naomi shouldn't have had to die. She shouldn't have had to sacrifice herself to save Cassie. I should have been the one to take care of Fletcher. I am possibly the only person that could beat Fletcher, with my sheer size and strength, I'm the closest to a potential threat that he could have. I should have fought him off, perhaps even killed him. We would all have been safe then. But no, I'm a coward. A good for nothing coward.

I sigh, struggling to hold the tears back that begin to fill my eyes. I shouldn't think like that. It was probably for the best that I didn't. What if I got myself killed? Then who would be here to protect the three of them? If I died, and I didn't come out of this thing. . . who would be there to protect Benny?

"Hopefully that was Fletcher," Whent says bitterly, referring to the cannon blast. I quickly wipe away the tears threatening to spill from my eyes, and look at him, presenting a fake smile. Whent is the closest thing I have to a friend in this arena. In all honesty, I've been pretty pathetic as a friend. I can't allow myself to let him lose me. He will have nobody otherwise. Cassie has not spoken in a couple of days, all she does is stare now. If I don't help Whent through this, then what type of ally am I?

"I was thinking the same thing," I say softly. He glances at me, looking rather alert at the fact that I have said something proper. I suppose he would react like that after all I've been doing lately is sobbing and muttering unintelligible words.

"Yeah, that would be good," he says, smiling slightly. I smile and nod, not exactly feeling the way I pretend to act. It's strange to be talking at all really, yet alone making small talk. I struggle at it right now, but I have to try.

"How much longer do you think this will all last?" I ask shakily, struggling to keep the sentence stable. He looks down for a moment, his mouth slanting as he thinks.

"Not sure really, with the rate people are dropping, it could take close to a month," he sighs, frowning with a look of sadness on his face. A month in this hell hole of an arena, I don't know if I can take that.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," I choke out, my smile quivering as I try to keep it still. He smiles back at me, but even I can tell its forced. I know myself enough to be able to tell how someone is really feeling, and judging by the glassy and wandering eyes that he poses, appearing defeated and worn, I can tell that Whent is sad.

It's as I'm thinking this that I truly realize how hard Whent has had it as well. I've heard him talking in his sleep a couple of times, about Naomi, and about Dana. His District partner has passed as well, which I fail to remember sometimes. I may still have Nero, but he doesn't have Dana. It's like it is affecting him as much as Naomi's death did. Whent had a little crush on Naomi, most would be able to tell. That goes to show how much of a connection he must have felt to his District partner.

The thing that confused me initially was that Whent had told me Dana had told him to get lost, that she would kill him if he didn't stop bothering her to join us. What Whent failed to mention was what he whispers in his sleep.

_Dana, please, come with me. I will protect you._

_Wh-why are you crying Dana? I thought you hated me._

_You turned me away, but why are crying about that? What does this mean?_

She apparently cried when she turned a cold shoulder. I think Whent fails to realize that means that Dana did care about him. That she didn't want to have to get attached to him.

My eyes drift over to Cassie, still in a sleeping bag tied to the tree. This is where we have kept her for these six days, once she had wandered off on her own. She continues to stare blankly just like she had prior, blinking every so often but not doing much more. Her blank eyes are rimmed by a dark purple, accompanied by heavy bags beneath her eye lids. She hasn't slept for the entirety of these six days, which I cannot possibly explain. I would have thought that the sleep deprivation would have affected her too much by this stage, potentially causing her to have hallucinations, until she just couldn't keep it up anymore.

Yet that hasn't happened. She just hasn't stirred for the longest time.

"Has. . . she spoken yet?" I ask. Whent shakes his head, glancing up at Cassie with a sigh.

"No, not yet. I'm not sure that she will speak anytime soon," he says glumly. I close my eyes, taking a sad breath.

"Cassie? Please, don't push us away, we are in this together," I say softly. I don't expect a response, I'm not even sure why I say it. Cassie continues to stare off into the distance, as if she is in another state of mind. It's almost as if. . . Cassie isn't herself anymore. I push myself up, standing slouched from the days of sitting. I walk over to Cassie, noticing how she doesn't even flinch at anything that comes at her.

"Cas, we need you," I say hoarsely, giving one last ounce of hope into my tone. I am almost taken aback when Cassie moves her head towards me. My eyes widen as she makes eye contact with me for the first time in days, and at what she says to me.

"Fuck you Ladonna." The air around me turns to ice, the atmosphere turning bitter and cold. The words were so straight forward and bland, and so strange leaving her mouth, being spoken in her voice. I'm in pure shock, so much so that I need to take a few steps back. It's like all the walls are crashing and falling down upon me. I barely know what to feel, what to think, I'm in too much shock.

It comes gushing down upon me soon after, the hurt, the sorrow, the welling of tears in my eyes. Never have I felt so horrific, not even when my parents had died. All of these emotions and feelings gather in my chest, this unfamiliar feeling making me feel light years away. All of this, and I can only bring myself to ask one question.

Why? Why would she say something like that? What did we do to earn that? We saved her life! We have stayed here for her, and all I receive in repayment for that, are those words? I should feel angry, furious, but I cannot. All I feel, is the deep depression that has been building up inside me for all these days. It pulsates through my body, making it shake, hurting me.

I feel a light hand rest against my back, and I become aware that Whent has gotten up to comfort me.

"Ladonna. . . don't listen to her. That isn't Cassie talking. They must have done something to her, because that isn't the Cassie that we know," he says softly, his voice shaking. From what I can gather, he is just as shocked as I am.

"Wh-what happened to you Cassie? You used to be. . ." I utter, trailing off when the good memories of Cassie come flooding back. The laughs, the jokes, the friendly and encouraging conversations she would share with us at training. Well, at least Naomi and Whent. Now that I think about it, I never received praise from Cassie. In fact, she always avoided talking to me. I don't remember a clear time when she willingly had a conversation with me. I do remember when she cast me away before we entered the Hunt Trial. It's as if. . .

"No," I say, taking Whent's hand off of my back.

"She has always felt this way towards me. Sh-she, never. . . liked me," I choke out, my lip trembling.

"That's not true," Whent assures me.

"No Whent, it is true! Cassie has never liked me. Not once. She has hated me from the very beginning. I don't understand, why?" I say with broken words. I feel my knees beginning to collapse, and I find myself depending on Whent for support, who struggles to carry my massive frame.

"I-I, no th-, ju-, no," Whent splutters, as he desperately tries to think of something to say.

"I thought that the only purpose that life had for me in this arena was to protect you two. Naomi cast this burden on me to protect her, to protect someone that has hated me from the moment they first laid eyes upon me," I mutter, shakily and defeated.

"Ladonna, ple-"

"How can this get any worse?" I interrupt, sinking to the floor in despair. The atmosphere is broken by the anthem piercing the air. Both Whent and I look up towards the sky, seeing the Capitol Seal shining in the air. I wish it stayed on that image.

My eyes rest on the biggest shock of my life, one that causes my body to experience stiffness so severe, I think I may never move again. Cold envelops my body, accompanied by heavy sorrow and despair, as I stare at the solemn face of my District partner, Nero. He stares back at me, straight faced and focused, while I stare back at him, a blubbering mess. The only thing from home that I have left. . . is dead.

I never thought this would have such an impact on me. In fact, I never even considered Nero dying. He was not someone that would ever die. He was strong, determined, he wasn't supposed to die. Besides Whent, he was the only person left that I considered my friend. Now he is gone.

My breathing becomes heavier, and my thoughts become a blended mess of pure depression and memories of Nero. I don't think, I just act. I feel myself clumsily stand up, and I feel the cold air hitting my face as I run. I hear Whent's distant call, but I keep going. Just like when Whent had ran away that one time, I do the same now. Aimlessly, I try to escape this horror that I have been forced upon.

The tears are too much now; they stain my icy face as I sob uncontrollably. I feel the odd bump of a tree as I try to navigate my surroundings. I couldn't care less at this point if I was to bump into Haim or Fletcher, all I want is for all of this to stop. Nero's death has pushed me over the limit. I cannot cope anymore; this is all too much for my mind.

As I run, I trip over a small log, causing me to fly through the air and land with a thud on the ground. I don't get up, I don't react, I just lie face down, letting the tears spill. I have no more energy to go on, I don't know where I am. It's all over for me now, I'm done.

I hear the distant calls of Whent, shouting out my name in a hushed sort of yell. A small part of me wants to call to him, but the rest of me cannot bring myself to do so. Whent is all I have left, perhaps he is better off without me with him.

However, when I think that, the sinister face of Fletcher flashes in my mind. He smiles evilly as he holds up the severed head of Naomi, and looks down at Whent who he holds in a headlock.

"No," I gasp, opening my eyes, and forcing myself to get up. I cannot give up now. Not while Fletcher is still around. I will protect them both, I have to, it's my duty.

* * *

_Day 7: Morning_

* * *

**Aramid Vicuna, 16, D6:**

I grit my teeth as I reach up, grabbing onto the rocky surface. Not only due to that push of effort though, but also because I look up to see the figure of Atlas, his tall muscled frame gliding up the rocky sort of cliff seemingly effortlessly. It fills my gut with bitterness and self-loathing. Just what I love.

It's taken a few days to get to this shit place, the top of the rocky island, with the wooden bridges and long falling waterfalls. It wouldn't be so bad if we were close to getting to Hera, but we aren't. The rest of our alliance is nowhere to be seen. There is no Hera, no Rexx or Libra, no Phionex or Vince. Not a sign.

In fact, at this stage, there hasn't been a single sign that there have been any tributes here. As far as I'm concerned, there is basically no point in coming up here. I feel the droplets of perspiration begin to slowly drip onto my nose, causing me to wipe it away in frustration. I bet _he _isn't struggling, sweating so much because of the effort of climbing this. The arena is meant to be so cold, and I'm sweating. That goes to show how utterly physical this is.

I grunt as I reach the top, seeing a flat grassy plateau, with spaced out trees and other flora. To my right rests a long bridge, steeply leading downwards as it reaches across to one of the lower pillars of earth. Minho stands still, close to the edge as he stares outwards, with his hands on his hips. Atlas digs through his backpack as he tries to locate something, before pulling out a bottle of water.

I collapse onto the ground, breathing heavily as my heartbeat thumps at an alarming rate. I groan, savoring this moment of peace and lack of movement for just a little while longer.

"So uh. . . I can't see anything," Minho says with disappointment, walking back over to us. I make out a subtle 'damnit' from Atlas as he lowers his head in annoyance.

"Perhaps they are on another pillar?" Atlas suggests half-heartedly.

"Atlas. We chose this pillar to climb because it was the highest, so we could look out and see the tops of all the other pillars. If we can't see them, they are not on this island. Accept it," I say bitterly. He flashes me a look of spite before sighing and plonking down on the ground.

"Well, that District 2 boy just died. Nero I think it was, it could have been one of us that killed him," Minho suggests hopefully.

"That could also mean one of us is injured after a fight with him. Nero was a nutcase, and insanely strong. No way whoever took him down could have done it without copping a few blows themselves," I reason.

"Bit pessimistic don't you think?" Atlas says with a frown. I narrow my eyes at him before responding.

"No, I'm being realistic Atlas," I bite back. He responds with a hint of bitterness.

"Whatever."

"So who could have taken him down? Surely it was either Rexx or Vince if it was the United. I can't see either one of them two allowing the girls to be in any danger," Minho says thoughtfully.

"Don't underestimate the girls, I reckon Phionex could take me down if she wanted to, she can hold her own in a fight," Atlas says, the ghost of a laugh on the edge of his voice.

"Hera grew up in District 6. She would have been trained well enough in combat back in the war to take down someone as inaccurate and stupid as Nero," I say in defense for Hera.

"Okay, I get it. If it was one of them that killed Nero though, Aramid's point is still valid in the fact that they could be injured, we should find them before anything else happens," Minho orders, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, like we haven't been doing that this whole time already," I scoff. Atlas grimaces at me before getting up to his feet.

"Fine Aramid. What do you want to hear? You were right and we were wrong? We are both stupid because we didn't follow what you suggested?" he says in exasperation.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear. You don't listen to me, and now look. We are at the top of this fucking pillar, and probably further away from the others," I sneer. I see Atlas grit his jaw while he shakes his head, probably trying to hold himself back.

"We are in a time where we are desperate to find our friends. Why do you have to be so immature about this? There were two options for us to go, and we tried this one. It didn't work, so know we will try out your idea. Why must you be so bitchy about it?" he remarks through gritted teeth. I don't know what he expects, for me to cower in fear? To admit to being immature and over exaggerating about this? No, I will not admit that.

"I have my reasons," I say quietly. Atlas' contorts his face momentarily into a look of confusion, before it changes back to anger.

"What reasons?" he breathes deeply.

"Because, if you listened to me from the very start, we would be with them right now," I respond.

"How do you even know they are on that tundra island?" Minho asks suspiciously. I look at him, before a small smirk protrudes on to my face from the satisfaction I am about to achieve from proving myself right.

"When that storm broke out, I payed attention to where they were closer to. They would have turned around, and stumbled onto that tundra island. It was directly behind them, so that's where they would have ended up, I just know it."

Atlas looks at Minho with an eyebrow raised, while Minho shakes his head in disapproval.

"Who's to say that they didn't go anywhere else?" he asks.

"I am. We had looked everywhere except these two islands, and they wouldn't have walked forward towards this one. They would have gone to the one closest to them. Besides, they would have stumbled into us if they went forward. The tundra island is the only place that they would have gone," I say firmly.

"How do you know that they stayed there?" Atlas asks.

"Because of one reason. They know they are safe there," I reply. Atlas appears repulsed by this answer.

"Safe? How?" he asks in bewilderment.

"Who's going to go hunting on the fucking cold tundra island? Minho himself just proved that when you asked him if we should go there," I cry out, pointing at Minho. Both Atlas and Minho's eyes widen, appearing dumbstruck. The look of realization leads me to believe that they finally understand what I'm talking about and why I have my reasoning.

"Oh. . ." Minho says softly, causing me to cross my arms in satisfaction.

"So, if you had let me say why we should go there, we would undoubtedly be with them right now," I say with a sigh. Both of the two boys are silent, absolutely wordless after what I said. I have never felt so achieved in my life, shutting up pretty boy Atlas is likely the best thing that has happened so far in this arena.

"Now, before we lose even more time, let's go to that tundra island, and let's find the others," I say firmly. As we turn and begin to start walking, I hear a sigh from one of the other two. I glance to the side for a moment to see a momentarily sad expression implanted on surprisingly Minho's face. He looks down grimly at the ground, the reflection of sorrow fairly evident in his eyes while his whole demeanor is slouched and sad.

Well, at least it is for a brief moment, before he notices that I see him and he surges up once again with his usual witty and confident self. It is strange seeing this coming from Minho, and for a moment I'm confused as to why I am seeing it. It's not strange to see it from Atlas, who has been distracted and saddened by the separation of not only Phionex, but Libra as well. I myself have had periods of glum filled angst about whether or not I will ever get to see Hera again. She is my closest friend here, the one who has an anchor onto my aggravated tendencies to lash out. She is that reminder of home, and who I am as a District 6 citizen.

Either way, I don't recall Minho having this much of a solid connection with anyone exactly in the United. I mean sure, of course he considers us his allies, his friends, his fellow rebels. But has he exactly had such a relationship or friendship develop that it drives him to seek them out? It hasn't appeared that way so far. Of course he has tried his best to help us find the rest of the United, but he hasn't had that same determination that we have had.

So what has gotten him like this? I only have to think for a moment before I remember. His District partner is still alive. From what I had heard, she had allied up with Danix from District 4 during training. However, Danix died roughly four days ago, meaning that she would be alone. She could be injured as well for all Minho knows, so no wonder he must be like this. Her absence must actually be really taking an emotional toll on him.

Suddenly, I'm filled with sympathy, and guilt. I didn't think anything would get in the way of my thoughts and mission of trying to find Hera. In fact, finding the other members of the United were simply a bonus to me at this stage. But we haven't even considered that some of us don't have everyone we want in the alliance to begin with. Vince doesn't have his District partner, and she is in the young alliance that already lost a member. Laelia lost her ally as well, and she is out there alone and likely hurt, and Minho can't really do anything about it.

My face softens when my eyes meet Minho's. He appears embarrassed, knowing that I spotted him. I slow down a bit and allow Atlas to get ahead, knowing Minho wouldn't exactly be very hot on having Atlas know as well.

"You want to be with her don't you?" I ask quietly. His eyes widen, appearing panicked and wild.

"Wha-, no I would never, that's absurd," he splutters, sounding flustered.

"You're not a very good liar Minho," I say calmly, as he ducks his head in shame.

"H-how long have you known?" he asks in a shaky voice. I look at him in confusion, rather perplexed.

"Why are you so scared for me to know? It's completely fine," I reply. He looks at me in surprise, opening his mouth but failing to speak.

"It is?" he stammers.

"I understand, and I also get why you wouldn't want the rest of us to know," I say softly. He continues to listen as I speak.

"You want to keep on that tough guy demeanor, and you don't want to show that you care about her. But it's fine to experience that, don't worry," I say. His eyebrows rise in concern, with him shaking his head.

"No, the others will kill me. _You _should be killing me," he utters. I laugh in bewilderment at his stupid comment.

"Minho, we wouldn't kill you just because you care for her, I mean, she's your District partner, I am doing the same," I chuckle. Minho's expression drops, as he looks at me in confusion.

"What?" he says in somewhat of a high pitch.

"Yeah, we wouldn't kill you for caring about Laelia. That would be stupid. Don't worry so much about how we perceive your relationship with your District partner. Feel free to let those emotions run," I inform him.

"Oh, ah, yeah, Laelia. . . she is. . . my District partner," he says in broken words. Minho now appears relatively relieved, likely because I have understood his thought process.

"If you want, after we have found the others, we can go looking for her," I say genuinely. Minho looks like he is deep in thought, before snapping back to reality and glancing at me.

"Ah, yes, of course. That's the best thing to do," he responds, flashing his usual cocky grin. I nod and speed up a bit, leaving Minho time to think and absorb the conversation. Laelia had to decline the first time because she had already allied with her ally. There isn't anything stopping her now however, and now we are able to build onto the alliance, and make it even stronger.

My eyesight lands on Atlas, who has hiked down a bit further. Once again, my thoughts turn sour when I see him. His _perfect _body, his charisma, all of it angers me. He doesn't deserve all of that, he doesn't deserve to get the girl. How stereotypical of him to end up with supposedly the most glamorous princess out of the tributes. Oh how the Capitol must love that. Unless. . .

Maybe he knows that. Maybe he is doing it on purpose, all of it is just a ploy to get him through these games. He could be using his 'relationship' with Libra to gain support in the Capitol. That evil son of a bitch.

When we do finally meet up with the others, should I tell Libra? She might not believe me, and if she does, it'll ruin her. She would be distraught. But if it's true, which I'm certain it is, I can't just watch her be used to gain support for Atlas. I clench my fists as I stare at him, my hatred for him burning deeper and deeper by the second.

Out of everyone I have to get stuck with, I get stuck with him. I should just kill him off right now. The idea bounces around continuously in my head, ringing back and forth until another idea forms. Maybe I should. Maybe Laelia should be the one to replace him in our alliance. I'm sure I could pull it off. I would have to do it when Minho isn't around, and then I would have to make sure that Phionex and Libra never find out.

After that, Atlas would be gone forever, and I would take leadership over the United. I would be the rebel leader that I deserve to be. As I stare down the back of Atlas, I begin running my finger along the cool sleek length of the blade, with my weapon just waiting to be coated in Atlas' blood.

I can do it; I just need my chance.

* * *

_Day 7: Afternoon_

* * *

**Quinn Holland, 16, D11:**

Drifting off to sleep this time was hard. Lately I've been finding it a little too easy, there will be periods where my body tires, fatigue randomly graces me and I am forced to find somewhere to hide as I fall into a state of slumber. It's as if these times my body is forcing me to sleep, is to experience this dream state. I still don't know why.

That's why this time, it was more difficult. I know it's only midafternoon, but this time I have the feeling that I will finally discover what all of this is about. All of it can hopefully come to an end, and I can learn as to why this has been happening to me.

So with the state of relative excitement mixed with lack of tiredness, I do have trouble with falling into my usual hefty deep sleep. I tossed and turned on the uncomfortable ground for a while, knowing I would be safe as the Gamemaker's are all a part of this. Edison Belkry intruded in on my dream a few days ago, causing Naomi to fight him off. There has to be a legitimate reason for all this, and he is a part of it.

Eventually, without realization, my body finally gives into the forced slumber, and I am enticed with the distant world of the mind. That leads me to this moment. I become aware that I am once again sitting on my Capitol bed. Nothing appears changed from last time, and nothing appears damaged from the time Naomi burnt the room to a crisp. It appears the way I left it, in the Capitol.

There is one difference though, when I look outside the window, it is black as night. I smirk a little as I see that, knowing that we are moving along in this chapter of my life. I turn my head again and stare ahead, seeing the closed door standing oh so still. The first time I had seen that in my dream it had been smashed repeatedly until it had opened. Not last time however. Not the time before that either, or the time before that. Neither does it now.

I watch the door as it slowly opens, refusing to creak as it slides slowly across, to reveal what is behind the door. Just like the first time, I see the dark figure of a girl, standing calmly in the darkness of the unlit hallway. A smile creeps up on my face as the girl takes a step into the room, the light of the room spilling onto her features to reveal her identity.

"How's it going Naomi?" I grin, sitting calmly on the bed. Her face is hard, her mouth refusing to form the smile I had come to know of her.

"You're so stubborn, you know that right?" she says quietly. I shrug my shoulders, looking at her rather amused.

"What can I say? I'm a curious boy," I respond. She shakes her head bitterly, still standing still.

"You're lucky that I'm merciful, I had half a mind to not turn up this time because you forced yourself to sleep," she says with a bored tone.

"But. . ." I say, wishing to hear more.

"You are ready," she says abruptly, slightly startling me. She smirks at me, knowing she frightened me a little.

"Okay, great! So where do we begin boss?" I ask enthusiastically. She turns around, staring out into the hallway, before turning her head so that she can see me.

"We will have a chat, over some dinner of course. That was the next event of this night after all," she says softly.

"Follow me." She walks gracefully, drifting into the hallway before I get a chance to move.

"Woah, wait a minute slow down," I exclaim, leaping off of the bed and making my way to the door.

"Our time is restricted as it is," Naomi calls out from outside of the room. I jump out through the door frame to see what is out there, to witness the District 11 floor, just like it was the night before our departure. I'm slightly shocked to see a table full to the brink with food, all the same types which we ate the night before the games.

The only difference now is that the table is absent of people, aside from Naomi, who stands with her hand clutching the back of the chair.

"Come, sit Quinn," she says softly, as she pulls out the chair from beneath the table and faces it slightly towards me. I gulp as I slowly step over to the seat, realizing that now is the time I finally learn what is happening, why this is happening. I rest my behind on the soft plush cushion of the seat, readjusting the chair so that it faces the table and all the food.

Although the look of it makes my mouth water, I cannot bring myself to eat any of it. What difference would it make? It's not real food, not like when Naomi burned my hand. She smiles softly at me as she walks around the side of the table, pulling out her own chair and plonking down on it. I watch as Naomi grabs a glass of champagne, despite her young age of thirteen. Who am I kidding? She isn't even alive. I have to choose my next words wisely. I don't want Naomi to start getting worked up like she did last time.

"So, you've done a good job of controlling your anger," I point out meekly. She smiles at me before grabbing a simple Apple.

"Yes, I have managed to figure out how to properly control it. It doesn't mean it is permanent though, I can still get triggered by. . . specific. . . things," she says trailing off, taking a crunch out of the shiny red fruit. She chews it for a moment before examining me once more.

"I'm sure you're interested by what I mean in terms of controlling _your _self?" She asks, referring to the first time she visited me in a dream. She had said I couldn't control myself either, and that did propose question's in my mind.

"Of course," I reply. She nods, placing down her apple and looking at me intently, studying my face.

"Quinn, basically, you have been turned into a Medium," she says. I let the information sink in, but my mind draws blanks. She realizes I don't know what she means and she shakes her head.

"Which is. . .?" I ask.

"You are spiritually telepathic, you can talk to the dead," she says with excitement. My eyes widen, the confusion already creeping up in the back of my mind.

"I-I can what? Speak to the deceased?" I ask dumbfounded.

"Yes Quinn," she replies, nodding with a smile on her face. I'm in disbelief, not knowing how to react to what she is saying.

"Uh, how?" I ask slowly. She chuckles and looks at me with devilishly cheeky eyes.

"That venom that you received from the spider, it actually brought you so close to death that you pierced the veil between the realm of the living and the dead. The treatment they used, it brought you back, but it didn't mend the veil, it fueled your newfound ability," Naomi says with excitement. I feel my mouth drop, as I struggle to accept what Naomi is trying to tell me.

"So, that's how I'm speaking to you? Because I can contact the dead?" I ask.

"Yes," Naomi confirms. My head spins, as my mind struggles to think of what to do.

"The whole ordeal of my death, it triggered this ability. The sorrow enabled it, and ever since, your parents have been trying to contact you," she says softly.

"Well how come they haven't been able to do that, but you have?" I ask Naomi. I kind of expect her to not know the answer, but instead she tilts her head sadly and looks at me.

"Because Quinn, they've been dead for a lot longer than I have. They're a lot more lost in the void of death," she informs me, voice just above a whisper. My heart pounds harder, feeling the sorrow for my parents. How cold and lost they must feel.

"Well, am I able to contact more people?" I ask hesitantly. She purses her lips, evidently deep in thought.

"Hmm, I don't see why not, with a little training I'm sure it would be possible," she mutters.

"What does Belkry have to do with this?" I ask suddenly, as the ugly mug of the old man graces my mind. Naomi lets out a hefty laugh as she sits back on her chair.

"Edison Belkry, funny you ask. He is the reason that you are able to contact me in the first place," she says with a smirk.

"How?" I ask.

"It was his mutt that poisoned you, it was his medicine formula that evoked this ability, and it is him that is trying to mend the torn wall of the veil," Naomi says, slamming her fist on the table. Silence graces the room, as I watch Naomi stiffly.

"He is trying to mend the veil?" I ask.

"Yes, and that why I have been saying you are not ready. But you are ready now. Ready to become stronger. Ready to fight Belkry out of your mind. He has a chip in your body that allows him passage into your mind. Once you are strong enough, he will not be able to do anything," Naomi snarls at nobody in particular. I sit back, rather perplexed with the situation. That really just happened? What am I? Some kind of freak of nature?

"Wouldn't they see me as someone important though? Like, I can contact the dead!" I exclaim. Naomi shakes her head sadly, dampening my small amount of hope.

"No Quinn, Edison sees it as a mistake that he needs to patch up, he won't stop until there is nothing he can do," Naomi informs me, causing me to slump down towards the table. So I've basically got a huge target on my head. Great. Suddenly, a thought graces my head, something I'm not quite sure as to why I didn't ask earlier.

"Uh, Naomi, how exactly do you know _all _of this?" I ask. Once again, all Naomi does is give me a smile of satisfaction, before answering my question.

"I'm dead Quinn, and I've escaped through the veil you pierced. I learnt everything through your mind as well as the chip that Belkry had implanted inside of you. As well as that, I know what's going on in the other side of the veil, where it is all full of the dead," she replies. I watch in confusion as her smile grows wider.

"You see Quinn, that's another reason why Edison wants this torn wall patched up," she says softly. I tilt my head in question, my eyes examining her excited cold blue ones.

"What is that?" I ask slowly. Her smile grows even large than before.

"I know everything. I can observe everything. I know things that can give you a distinct advantage in certain situations," she says coolly. I become excited with this news, the very chance that I have of receiving higher information then I am meant to know. No wonder Belkry wants me to not be able to contact Naomi, she could help me.

"Can you elaborate?" I ask hesitantly, trying to keep my calm. She leans forward just a tad, causing me to lean closer towards her. I stare into her eyes as she looks at me wittingly.

"I happen to know a little something about some of our fellow tributes. . ." she begins.

"Go on. . ." I urge her. She leans even closer.

"Like that Vince, Phionex and Liesel are in an alliance, and they have decided to hunt you down," she whispers. I jolt back, with shock rocketing throughout my body as I am taken completely by surprise by her answer.

The whole ordeal is so surprising that I jolt awake, completely covered in cool sweat while my body is contorted on the ground. My body fires up, which I instantly regret as it smacks immensely hard into a wooden tree branch that rests above my sleeping position on the ground. Fireworks go off in my vision, as my eyes are clenched shut. I cry out from the pain, cursing out loudly as I profusely rub the spot that connected with the branch. I almost feel a welt begin to produce, as my fingers locate the sensation of a small trickle of warm blood, now emitting from the bump.

God, _fucking, _damnit. I groan in self-pity and annoyance as I allow myself to collapse back onto my back, hand still pressed against my forehead.

"Smooth Quinn, real smooth." I'm fast to act, my hand reaching for a knife in arms reach, while I scramble to my feet and whisk around. I stare at the source of the voice, as I hold up the knife in defense. No wonder the voice sounded so familiar. Naomi stands a few feet in front of me, arms folded and eyebrow raised.

"What are you doing here?" I growl, still embarrassed and in disbelief. She laughs and leans against a nearby tree.

"I told you that you are strong enough now," she says, shrugging her shoulders. My face scrunched in confusion, not sure of what she means.

"You said I was ready to fight back," I murmur, my arm lowering the knife to my side.

"And strong enough to be able to keep me here with you, so you have a companion," she says gleefully, clapping her hands in delight. I look around frantically, to make sure that nobody is nearby. When the coast is clear, I look back at Naomi.

"So you're meaning to tell me that you are here with me now when I am awake?" I ask frantically. She nods in confirmation, a clear smirk evident on her face.

"Yeah, I'm like a hallucination, except, I'm real, and you're not crazy," she says with a chuckle. I sigh, shaking my head and plonking down on the floor.

"This _is_ crazy," I mutter, "all of this was meant to stop." Naomi tsk tsk's and sits directly in front of me.

"Think of it as a good thing, remember I can give you information," she reasons.

"Yeah, like I'm getting hunted," I reply bitterly. I feel her cold touch as puts her arm around my shoulder, causing me to shiver.

"True, but also other things," she says with a grin.

"Like what?" I ask bluntly, questioning whether I could possibly be interested with what information she might give me.

"Well, you did want to know who killed me, right?" she asks. My head perks up at this comment, with my head turning to face her face.

"Yes." She smiles and leans closer to me.

"Are you prepared to hunt down and kill them?" she asks softly, face rather close to mine.

"If it's the last thing I do," I say through gritted teeth, determination pumping through my veins. Naomi leans right into my ear, whispering a single but ominous name.

"Fletcher."

* * *

_Day 7: Evening_

* * *

**Libra Spindle, 16, D8:**

So these last few days have been anything but enjoyable. Ever since that supposed altercation with a stalking tribute, it seems that both Rexx and Hera have been on edge. Rexx has been receiving even less sleep than he had been already. As he does not at all feel right with leaving us awake while he gets to enjoy sleep. It is so selfless of him, and if anything, selfish of me to accept.

I cannot help but feel guilty whenever I look at Rexx, his worn eyes losing the life and excitement to them, with bags growing darker by the day. It doesn't look healthy, and it concerns me to see him like this.

The problem is however, no matter how much I try to make him sleep properly, he refuses to give in. I've seen him nod off a few times, his head dropping as his eyes flutter shut. I never try to wake him up, and I always hope he stays sleeping. Unfortunately, his head always bounces back up, looking alarmed and disturbed momentarily, before he gets angry at himself for falling asleep.

Hera has been acting strangely as well, although I'm not too sure it's due to the same reason as Rexx's purposeful sleep deprivation. I often catch her staring in horror in one direction or the other, or I see her jump in fright, startled at something that is beyond me. She always plays it off, or pretends it doesn't happen, but there certainly isn't anything normal about that. Those aren't even the worst things.

It's been seven days. Seven since the games started, and seven since I last saw Atlas. I don't even know if I'll ever get to see him again. The thought frightens me, causing me to fret on such a possibility. They separated us all, and for what reason? To torture us even more? To put us through more than they have already put us?

I don't even know who is with one another, aside from Rexx, Hera and I. Although this is true, I still retain my faith, my hope, that we will see the rest of our alliance again. But each day we spend without the others, I find myself missing them more. I want to see Vince again, who I consider one of my closest friends. And I yearn to see Atlas' soft brown eyes, and run my fingers through his chocolate brown hair as we lie under the stars, finally reunited.

The vision makes me smile, but only briefly, before I snap back to reality to see the cold snowy tundra, and the two allies and friends I managed to stick with. Again I feel slight guilt. While I've been obsessing over finding the others, and while I've been plagued by the sorrow of my separation from Atlas, I've continued to forget that two of my allies are still here. That I at least have someone. It feels as if I'm taking them for granted.

I couldn't imagine what I would have done if I had ended up on my own. The thought is rather scary. Yet here I am, with Rexx protecting me and both him and Hera here to accompany me. Despite the fact that I have been cut off from Atlas, I could have ended up in a much worse scenario. For that, I am thankful.

I spot Rexx staring at me, eyes half closed and mouth drooping open just a tad. It takes him a few seconds to snap out of his stupor and realize he had been staring at me, before he shakes his head and looks away, embarrassed with flushing red cheeks. I stifle a giggle with my hand, before taking a deep sigh, as I stare up at the night sky. Only last night had a cannon gone off, one that had frightened me beyond relief for the possibility that it could have been one of us, that it could have been Atlas.

However, I was reassured a short time later when we were shown the image of Nero in the night sky. His face was projected in the exact spot that I look at now, which happens to be the same spot that Danix's photo had been shown. I dread the possibility of it being one of our faces next, I feel a deep unease inside of my chest as the thought crosses my mind.

The thought of seeing one of our faces up there triggers more thoughts to occur in my brain. Not only thoughts however, but emotions. Determination, desire, a new mission entirely. I can't do this anymore by sitting around in this snow laced tundra and freezing my ass off. I can't leave the others out of the picture, I can't spend any longer without trying to find Atlas. We need to start searching for them.

I stand up suddenly, and rather energetically, earning estranged looks from both Rexx and Hera. I look at them both stony faced, before leaning down and picking up one of the backpacks. Rexx glances from the pack to my face with concern, before it morphs into subtle panic.

"Libra, what are you doing?" Rexx asks worriedly. I sling the backpack onto my shoulders, and stare at Rexx with a frown.

"I can't do it anymore Rexx," I say quietly. Both Hera and Rexx glance at each other with confusion, before looking back at me.

"Do what?" Rexx asks softly.

"Nothing," I respond. All I receive from Rexx is silence, as he tries to think of what to say. This pushes me to continue.

"I can't do nothing anymore. I can't sit around while the others are missing, while At-" I cut myself off, realising exactly what I'm about to say. I haven't ever said anything out loud about Atlas yet, and for the Capitol to find out this way would be horrific. However, it appears that Rexx has understood what I meant to say. I see a slight grimace, only momentarily before he gets a straight face.

"Oh," he croaks. Do I see hurt in his eyes?

"So you want to search for the others as well?" Hera asks, jumping to her feet. I nod at her with a smile, which she beams at as she picks up her scythe.

"Wait, shouldn't we discuss this? I mean, it's dangerous outside of this island, people are out there that want to hurt us. Haim, Fletcher, Theia, just to name a few," Rexx exclaims with concern.

"What is there to talk about Rexx? Our friends are missing, they could be in danger, it's about time we started to look for them," Hera points out. She sighs, before looking into the crackling fire.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while now. My best friend out of the original twenty-four of us is out there, and I need to find him. It's about time we do it," she says softly. I feel my heart sink for Hera, sadness washing over me. Another thing that I have overlooked. I always seem to forget that Hera was separated from Aramid as well.

"So you're going?" Rexx asks hesitantly. I frown when I see Rexx's evident sadness, along with his exhaustion and helplessness.

"No, _we're_ going," I reply. Rexx appears as if he is about to speak, potentially to try and protest the plan, but instead he sighs and slumps his shoulders.

"Okay, if you wish. If you think you'll be alright, then we can go and look for the others," he says softly. I smile at him, proud that he is taking into account what both Hera and I want. I take a couple of steps over to him, bending low and embracing him in a tight hug. I hear the air leave his body as I squeeze him, before letting him go and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank you Rexx, I appreciate it," I praise him, voice barely over a whisper. He appears rather bewildered, his eyes wide while his normally pale cheeks are slightly pink.

"No problem," he croaks. He stands up slowly, stumbling a bit as he tries to gain his balance. He looks like a drunkard stumbling out of a bar, body slouching and arms practically useless. He starts to drag his feet over towards our back packs and his Obsidian Sword, until he trips over a rogue tree branch. Both Hera and I just manage to grab a hold of him before he plummets to the earth, which we struggle to do with how limp he is. His body is practically lifeless, and his reaction time is flawed to an unbelievable extent. This is when I realize our first major problem.

"Come on guys, what are we waiting for?" Rexx mutters. My worry peaks when I see his eyes rolling back and forth in between vision and the back of his head. I look at Hera with worry, which she returns equally.

"Uh, on second thought, I think we should go tomorrow," Hera says quietly. Rexx shakes his head before trying to stand up straight on his own.

"Nah, come on, we can go now, it's safer at night," he utters, slurring his words considerably.

"Rexx, we can't. You're too sleep deprived, we need you to fall asleep, to rest," I tell him softly. His eyes widen at this, with his head perking up quickly.

"No! No, I can't, I can't sleep, I need to watch," he argues defiantly.

"You need to Rexx, it's affecting you really badly, you won't be at full strength if you don't sleep!" Hera exclaims, sounding very concerned.

"I can't!" Rexx cries out, prying his body away from us.

"We can stay here until tomorrow if you want, but I'm not sleeping," he says in refusal. My thoughts are now full of concern for Rexx. Rexx is never like this, he is always calm, collected, thinking straight, and alert. Now he isn't in his right state of mind, this is barely him speaking. It truly is as if he was drunk. I watch him as he stomps over to his log seat, crossing his arms and plonking down into a sitting position.

"What are we going to do?" Hera whispers frantically, evidently distressed with the way Rexx is acting.

"We need to somehow get him to sleep. Once we do that, he cannot possibly wake up until he is well rested enough. His body won't allow him," I murmur in response. She nods her head in agreement.

"But how?" she asks. I frown, shaking my head in annoyance.

"That's the part I don't know," I reply. Hera sighs in frustration, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Damnit, I just wish we could knock him out, then he would have no choice but to sleep," she says bitterly. The statement doesn't have too much meaning to me at first. The idea of knocking Rexx out sounds too stupid, and much too harmful. I am about to discard the sarcastic suggestion from my mind, until the thought hits me. We don't have to knock him out physically, but perhaps something else can. . .

"I think I have an idea," I softly remark. I look at Hera with a serious expression.

"You're going to have to follow my instructions," I inform her. She looks at me in confusion.

"What's this idea?" She asks curiously.

"You'll see," I promptly respond.

"Keep him distracted," I instruct her as I turn away and slip into the trees. Now is the moment to try out if this sponsor thing really does work.

"Fury, I know you're listening, you know what we need." I say this openly, hoping the camera will pick it up. It's only about ten seconds that I have to wait, before a parachute drops from the sky, gracefully landing on the ground, before my feet. I kneel down and grab it, unscrewing the lid and peeking inside. I feel myself glower at what I see, a small vial perched inside the vessel. I reach inside and grab the small glass vial, feeling the cool glass against my fingers.

Examining it, I confirm it is what I was looking for. Sleeping Syrup. I turn back to the location of the base, seeing it through the trees as I slip the vial into my pocket. I watch as Hera talks to Rexx about something, although Rexx doesn't appear very stimulated by the conversation. He honestly looks like he is about to give in to the fatigue he is experiencing, but I know he won't. In this frame of mind, he is too stubborn.

I casually slip back to the base, going to the effort of rummaging through the backpacks to see if I can find a bottle to mix the syrup with fruit and water in. However, my luck is high today, as I manage to discover a juice box. I pluck the juice box from the pack and hold it in my right hand. I feel the small weight of the vial in my pocket as I make my way over towards my two allies.

"That was my initial reaction when these games were announced, what about yours?" Hera asks.

"Huh?" Rexx groans, looking over at Hera. Hera sighs as she begins to explain to him once again what she was talking about, and while she does this, I unscrew the vial behind my back. Once I open the juice, I pour the syrup inside, making sure to swirl it around a bit before closing the juice box again.

"Hey guys! Did you know we have juice?" I exclaim. Rexx's head turns to me with somewhat glee.

"Really?" he asks, a hint of excitement in his voice. I hold out the juice for him, which he grabs willingly.

"I love juice," he utters with lazy satisfaction, before raising it to his lips to take a swig. Both Hera and I watch intently as Rexx downs the juice, until he takes it away for air. He looks rather unsettled, before looking at me.

"Why is it so sweet?" he asks in a daze. Suddenly, his eyes flutter shut, as he collapses to the ground, sprawled in a sleeping position. Hera looks at me with a smirk.

"Nice job Libra," she proclaims, before looking back at Rexx's snoozing figure.

"What do we do now?" I plonk down on the ground, nearby the fire to take in the heat.

"We wait."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So I am getting this out way sooner than I anticipated, so yay! This was a relatively calm chapter, but things aren't looking swell for the Terrific Trio. Quinn's storyline reveal was hopefully interesting, it's rather unique because I don't think I've ever seen a tribute be able to contact dead tributes during the game. But hey, I'm different. More conflict with Atlas' side of the United, not sure how things are looking there. . .**

**Anyways, so yeah! Got this out weeks earlier than I expected. Honestly, although I had exams, I still found myself trying to write as much as possible. I'm getting back into one of those really writing moods where I am really inspired and excited to get the story along. So hope to get even more chapters out! Also, exams are over, and holidays are a week away, so more chapters will be coming!**

**So what did you guys think of the chapter? I would love to hear some of your thoughts! Any predictions for who will die next? Any hopes for anything in the story, in terms of any deaths or relationship developments or anything really? Feel free to share your thoughts, traffic stats tell me there are a lot of silent readers out there. . .**

**The name of the next chapter is called ****_Minds of the Demented, _****and it will feature some people we haven't seen for a while! See you all then, and hopefully I can get it out soon!**

**-Ares**

* * *

_Remaining Districts:_

**District 1**

**District 2**

**District 3**

**District 4**

**District 5**

**District 6**

**District 7**

**District 8**

**District 9**

**District 10**

**District 11**

**District 12**

* * *

_Remaining Tributes:_

**Haim Peridot - District 1**

**Theia Cartelle - District 1**

**Ladonna Gully - District 2**

**Dayta Owens - District 3**

**Liesel Varner - District 3**

**Rhode Nerida - District 4**

**Minho Lyun - District 5**

**Laelia Webber - District 5**

**Aramid Vicuna - District 6**

**Hera Loughbrook - District 6**

**Atlas Verdini - District 7**

**Phionex Blast - District 7**

**Rexx Kerdom - District 8**

**Libra Spindle - District 8**

**Fletcher Wilds - District 9**

**Vince Rojarze - District 10**

**Cassia Summers - District 10**

**Quinn Holland - District 11**

**Whent Lush - District 12**

* * *

_Alliances:_

_United Pack 1:_**Rexx D8, Libra D8, Hera D6**

_United Pack 2:_**Vince D10, Phionex D7, Liesel D3**

_United Pack 3:_**Minho D5, Aramid D6, Atlas D7**

_Terrific Trio:_**Ladonna D2, Cassia D10, Whent D12**

_Loners:_

\- **Theia D1**

\- **Haim D1**

\- **Dayta D3**

\- **Rhode D4**

\- **Laelia D5**

\- **Fletcher D9**

\- **Quinn D11**

* * *

_Killers:_

**Fletcher Wilds- **3

**Theia Cartelle- **1

**Haim Peridot- **1


	41. Minds of the Demented

_Day 8: Morning_

* * *

**Phionex Blast, 16, D7:**

I stare at her face, feeling my own grimace. Her face is rather soft, for once looking at peace. No scowl, no brooding, nothing of the sorts. Amazingly enough, it is possible for Liesel Varner to appear not so hostile. What does this do to my opinion of her? Absolutely nothing.

Liesel lies down, snoozing silently in the warmth of a sleeping bag. Her hand creeps over the top, latching onto her katana which happens to be hidden underneath the sleeping bag. Usually, I would be watching her with exhaustion, fatigue threatening to plague my body. However, Vince has somewhat prevented that with the order for me to sleep.

Now I actually sleep a little, under the premises that Vince keeps watch. As long as someone is awake when Liesel is, I can sleep peacefully. However, this time it is Liesel and Vince sleeping, and it is I that keeps watch. Vince likes to think it is more keeping watch over the surrounding area, but to me, it is keeping watch over Liesel, making sure she doesn't flee, or even worse, kill one of us.

As much as I distrust Liesel, I cannot help but feel like she won't kill Vince. At first I had no doubt that she would, but as time has gone on, it is seeming less and less likely. If she was to kill anyone to escape, it would undoubtedly be me. Somehow, I cannot see her killing Vince.

To me, it is both a bad thing and a good thing, not bad in the way that I would die instead of Vince, but it's bad in a way that I cannot put my finger on. It's like, Vince and Liesel have some sort of connection or attachment that I am unaware of. I know they helped each other out in the Hunt Trial, but that still doesn't hold me over.

Standing up, I stretch my legs and glance over at Vince's sleeping figure. Unlike Liesel, he is quite sprawled out, lying on his back with a nasally snore erupting from his nose. I take a couple of steps over to him, looking down at his passive face with a subtle smile. The one thing in this psychotic arena that is holding an anchor to me. If I was to lose Vince, I don't know what I would do really. I certainly don't think I would be like I am now.

I bend low, sitting down beside his head and lightly running my fingers through his thick hair. He gives a slight murmur, giving me the faintest indication that he might awaken, however he stirs slightly before rolling over closer towards me, sub-consciously in his state of slumber. A warming feeling envelops my chest, and I feel valued, and at peace for a moment in this damned game. I sometimes wish, that somehow we could have met under different circumstances. That would have been nice. It's unfortunate that the way we met one another was through a game of death.

I sigh, massaging his head and letting the early morning sun aesthetically please me. It may not give the effect of heat, which a sun is meant to do, but I cannot deny the beauty of this arena. The sunsets and rises are some of the most vibrant that I have ever seen. It may be artificial, but at the moment, am I supposed to care about that? It provides a calming sensation which I do seek, one that only Vince has been able to provide as of now.

With all the trees that surround me, and the mesmerizing sunset, I picture myself back in District 7. I would always rise out of bed early in the morning back during the war, to sneak out and escape to the woods that we would chop down for lumber. Many of my mornings and even some of my sunsets were spent sitting on the branches of some of the highest trees, watching the sun rise above the horizon. At the time, it seemed kind of immature. The sun was always going to be there, why did I have to go every morning? Yet I couldn't stop myself, it was something I needed to do to keep the reins on my life.

Now I understand, and am quite thankful for those events. It gives me a sense of home, of purpose, it fills me with memories, to me it represents myself. Seeing that radiant sunset, it always felt attached to me in some way, whether it be because of my name, Phionex, a radiant firebird, as Liesel would keep calling me, despite the different method of spelling, or perhaps just my adventurous and wonder filled self. Back before everything turned to shit. The memories almost bring a tear to my eye, however I manage to hold it back.

The only thing I would like changed about those memories, would be for Vince to be beside me. I would have liked to escape to the forest of trees with Vince, climb to the top of the highest tree, and live life the way it was intended to be. With laughter, enjoyment, and care for one another. Not seeking people's death's, being suspicious of every other person you meet, and trying to stay alive with the bare essentials of human emotion, and the supplies thrown together and given to me.

That is how I'm living this second, and for everything I've experienced in life, why must I have been reduced to this state of living? All this anger and hate towards District 0, which they undoubtedly deserve, well at least the majority, as well as acting the same way towards my fellow District's? As I said, District 0 deserve it, but do other District's? Does Liesel?

My head turns towards Liesel, who still sleeps soundly with her katana in hand. I try to feel guilt, or sympathy towards her, but I am unable to produce anything of the sorts. I cannot help it. I shake my head in distraction, deciding it would be best to jumpstart the day. I turn back to Vince who has not moved a muscle since I last laid eyes upon him. I bend down close to his ear in order to speak.

"Vince, it's time to get up," I coo silently, continuing to play with his hair. He reacts ever so slightly, a tiny groan that is audible.

"Vince, come on," I whisper, slightly louder than last time. This time he moves a bit more. He moans as he tries to push himself up, his eyes still sealed shut. After doing this, he mutters something unintelligible. It would be that to most people, but the word strikes me with complete shock, that it is hard not to understand him.

"Liesel?" He mutters groggily. I feel the shiver of shock run down my spine, my skin crawling while my blood runs cold.

"What?!" I cry out in outrage, causing both Vince and Liesel to jolt awake, rubbing their eyes in confusion. Vince looks up at me through squinted eyes, at my open mouthed face. He must realize what he did only a moment later, because his face drops in horror.

"Phi, no, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, you sounded like. . ." he protests, trailing off as he looks at Liesel, who looks around in confusion.

"You thought, I was her?" I ask, through gritted teeth. I can see the guilt in his eyes, and the infuriation with himself.

"Yes, I was stupid to have, I was barely awake, look it was a mistake," he utters softly.

"What's going on?" Liesel calls out in annoyance, obviously angry that she has been awoken.

"Don't worry Liesel, nothing is wrong, we're just talking," Vince assures her. Currently, I don't know how to feel. What did that mean? Why did he say that? I almost feel like I'm on the verge of tears _again, _until Vince raises his warm hand lightly towards my face. He makes me look at him, and our eyes lock. I try to read him, and he seems genuinely distressed with himself. I'm sure it doesn't take a genius to work out how I feel.

"Phi, please," he pleads. I feel the temptation, to rise up and slaughter Liesel, vigorously stab her to rid her of us. I even feel tempted just to leave, and forget everything. But Vince's eyes, they hold me in place. His sincerity, his care, it makes me choose to trust him.

"Okay," I choke out, for once in my life completely wordless. As Vince gets up to get ready, different waves of emotion come crashing over all parts of my body. Seemingly outrageous and improbable thoughts intruding on my mind. Is it just me? Is it only myself that doesn't at all feel right at this moment, am I the only person skeptical about what is going on? To be fair, I'm probably the only person that would care, but it feels like the only thing in the world that matters right now. Making this right, making everything okay.

Yet, I can't force these horrendous ideas from creeping into the back of my mind. Somehow, it has to be the Capitol spreading horrific ideas in my head, it cannot be me assuming, guessing, that it may have a slight probability of being true.

_It can't be, _I think frantically to myself. _Vince told me that I mean the world to him. _

Denial. I hear a darker side of me whisper this word, sending chills down my back. No, it still will not be true. Not with that District 3 skank. Even as I come to this conclusion, I look at Vince kneeling beside Liesel, discussing something in great detail. I cannot help but feel a little unease discomfort my stomach. What is this feeling? Is it. . . jealousy? It must be, I haven't felt jealous about anything in a while. Now here it is, stronger than ever. I can just feel the scowl embedded onto my face, my lips almost puckering bitterly. The camera's I'm sure will be picking this up, but I don't care about them. They don't matter.

Vince begins to turn around, to my surprise. I make sure to ditch the facial expression, which I may have done a bit too late. I quickly turn away from him, but not before I see his look of concern. I raise my knees up, leaning my elbows against them and resting my chin on my wrists. I do this as I stare back out at the ever-growing vibrancy of the sunrise. Again, the anchor that I always seemed to have. Calming me down from a young age.

I almost sigh when I feel Vince lower himself next to me, making a thud as he sits down. I feel his arm wrapping around my shoulder, gripping carefully onto my other one. I bite my lower lip, knowing the real reason he is doing this.

"Vince, I said it was fine, you don't need to suck up to me or whatever," I protest. He nods his head, humming a laugh.

"You think that's why I'm doing this?" He laughs.

"Why else?" I respond flatly.

"Did I not tell you a while ago?" He chuckles. I look up him, my eyes shining and my face soft. He has a way of doing that, I don't know how he manages to.

"Are you sure though?" I brood. I expect him to hesitate. Hell, I want to catch him hesitate, just so I'm not kept in this state of bewilderment. Instead, he responds in a buttery voice, two words that I can't help but melt at.

"Of course." Suddenly, I'm filled with woe, and sorrow. The fantasy of meeting Vince somewhere that wasn't the Hunger Games, I long for it so much. I lean my face into the crevasse between his arm and pecs, feeling the tears leak silently. I never do this. I never cry. I'm meant to be hardened, tough, untouchable to the Capitol. My proud District 7 self is on the verge of a blubbering mess, and now I hide myself from it with the person the means most to me in this arena.

There is no sobbing, no words, nothing except tears. As long as I hide away my face, my emotions are unbeknownst to the Capitol. My tears are absorbed by Vince, and with this I know. I know that Vince is all I have got. Not the United. Not even Atlas. If I lose Vince, that's when everything will fall to shit. I cannot allow myself to lose Vince.

Vince knows that I am crying, even though I virtually show nothing to prove it. He seems to have that sixth sense, to detect when I'm upset, yet alone crying. He rubs my back, hugging me and whispering into my ear.

"It's going to be okay Phi."

"Nothing will ever happen to you."

"We will get through this together."

All of these phrases, I hope he is genuine. I really do.

"Hey! We kind of have a mission to achieve here!" Now it's a different voice that my hearing picks up. More frantic, irritated, higher pitched, bitchy. Liesel, of course. Vince slowly lifts my head away from his shoulder, staring down at me with a soft smile.

"That's something we needed to talk about as well," he says coolly. My forehead creases, as my mouth forms a frown.

"What?" I ask dumbly.

"My god you're stupid, what we have been talking about for the past couple of days! Hunting for Quinn," Liesel informs me with heavy annoyance in her voice. This causes me to scowl at her, before Vince lifts me slightly to remove each other from our sights.

"Yes, so we are going to start looking around for Quinn," he tells me much more calmly. I almost laugh out of disbelief, how can he sound so collected when talking about hunting and killing a person.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do? I mean, we barely know the guy, why him?" I question. Liesel groans harshly before glaring at me.

"Do I have to remind you?" she hisses. Before she begins to list off her reasons for wanting to hunt down Quinn, I stop her mid-sentence.

"Fine. I get it, you don't need to. . . go mental," I exclaim.

"Great. I'll start packing," she responds, before standing up and stalking off over to our supplies. I sigh and lean back against Vince, who plays with my hair.

"Do you think we might run into any of the others?" I ask. It takes a couple of seconds for Vince to reply, until he finally managed to answer.

"Hopefully," he utters faintly, as if he is deep in thought. As I think myself, I feel slightly guilty over what I thought before. Not caring about Atlas? I must have been in quite a delirious state. Atlas is my best friend in this place, and I'm sure we will see each other again. Someday.

I hope. . .

* * *

_Day 8: Afternoon_

* * *

**Cassia Summers, 12, D10:**

I can feel it in me, this theoretical entity. It continues to grow darker and darker, basically cutting off all ties I ever had with anyone. I used to care for Whent, yes that is true. Now, my feelings for him has been hammered down to the brink of disappearing. I almost hold no care for Whent.

Ladonna, well I never cared for her to begin with. Now my feelings for her have instead of being reduced to pulp, have been formed and contorted. Jagged, sharp, spires of hate for her. I don't know what this is. What is causing me to be like this? It's as if something in my brain flicked a switch, which triggered my emotions to constantly dampen until I am an empty shell of the 12-year-old girl I used to be.

I feel ancient, sinister, powerful even. Nobody can affect me through appeal anymore, nobody can get in the way of my survival. I don't fear losing anybody anymore, in fact, I want to lose them. I need to lose Whent and Ladonna.

I glance over at the two of them, continuing to sit around all depressed and useless. Pathetic. I would expect them to try and play the game a little more before they die. Apparently not however, Whent is just proving to be the wimp he always was, and Ladonna is just as aggravatingly weak. If I could kill her right now, I undoubtedly would. I would rid the arena of her, when she clearly isn't needed, and clearly isn't wanted. I'm sure there isn't even one person looking on from a higher platform. The true presence that made us all, hers is no longer here. So why is she still here?

Something about her duty, I remember hearing her speak briefly about to Whent. Duty to what? The future story of the 1st Annual Hunger Games? Oh I could rant on for years about Ladonna Gully, but I'll have to refrain from doing that as of now.

In fact, it has actually been days since I have spoken properly. I did promptly say 'fuck you' to Ladonna, which felt as satisfying as ever, but other than that, words have not left my lips since the early days of this arena. It's all for a reason, everything is leading up to something.

"Uh, Ladonna, do you mind if I have a word with you?" Whent asks rather hesitantly. Ladonna's head perks up, glancing at Whent from the position she sits.

"Yeah, sure Whent," she replies, grudgingly getting up and lumbering over towards him. She slumps down beside him, and I believe they think they are a far enough distance away from me. Unbeknownst to them, I can still hear them.

"Ladonna, we should probably leave this area soon. Fletcher is probably hunting us, and he is probably close. After all, he is still after. . ." he says, trailing off as his eyes land on me. So he thinks Fletcher is close? Honestly, I would not be surprised if he is at this point. That is confirmation for me that my destiny is almost here. Fletcher's attack is imminent and close.

"Are you sure Whent, this place hasn't caused trouble for us so far, and we are still quite broken," Ladonna replies with a weary sigh.

"That is true, but I really don't feel comfortable staying here much longer. If we run into anyone in general, it could end badly," he responds. It takes a moment for Ladonna to reply, however she does it with a surprising attempt at being optimistic, which is honestly unbelievable. Ladonna has been depressed, dead inside, I haven't seen her attempt any form of optimism since training.

"We've still got each other Whent, we've still got Cassie. It's been 8 days since anything. . . bad has happened, that won't change now."

"But, we've lost so much, I've lost so much," Whent chokes.

"I promise Whent, we can leave tomorrow, we will spend one last day here," she replies softly, such a tone sounding odd coming from someone her size.

"Okay, tomorrow. Tomorrow we leave this area, and we don't come back," Whent says firmly. He stays silent for a moment, until his face relaxes, and he appears concerned by something.

"Ladonna, do you think we are going to hunt people down? And kill them?" he asks with slight disgust at the idea. Ladonna bites her lip, her head lowering as tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"Hopefully not," she whispers. My anger begins to reach a boiling point again towards Ladonna. She is weak, pathetic, she doesn't know how to survive. It's a wonder how she survived for this long in this Hunger Games. Watching her on the verge of tears brings me joy, and I cannot help but smile slightly, as I watch them drip down her cheeks and splash onto the earthy ground below her.

"But we will, won't we?" Whent says more firmly, and more angrily this time. He stares off in the distance, glaring potentially at his own thoughts. He starts tossing rocks angrily at the tree, causing a thud every time a rock makes connection.

"I don't know," Ladonna replies. I know the answer to that. The answer is no, because they are going to die soon enough anyways. Whether it be by someone else, or myself that does it, the fact remains that they will die. I feel myself begin to grow angrier. I need to escape them; I need to get away. I can't be around them any longer.

I feel a shooting pain rocket through my head, as if a blade just pierced it. Somehow, I don't cry out loud, in fact I barely react. I just take the pain. It's as if a sudden headache has ruptured my brain, I can feel the pain pulsating, spreading throughout the rest of my mind.

It occurs to me that during this ordeal, my eyes shut tightly, so I open them now with unexpected results. My perception is strange, different, unordinary. I'm changing again, my body is altering itself from the norm, and now it seems like my vision has changed drastically.

I cannot see a normal setting, despite it being the afternoon it has an ever growing darkness seeping in from further in the forest, towards our clearing. I struggle to see out there, it's as if there is only a spotlight on the area that we rest. I look up, seeing the night sky in the middle of the day. Red stars litter the sky, and the moon is shaded a bright Crimson. Around me, the plants and environment crawl like bugs, nothing remains still, and it makes me feel like I'm in a pit of green worms.

Ladonna and Whent, have both disappeared. In each of their places is the enormous figure of Fletcher. Two Fletcher's sit facing away from me, just like Ladonna and Whent had been. Both figures slowly push themselves off of the floor, standing up like decayed zombie carcasses. Their heads slowly turn to me, almost spinning completely the opposite way that their bodies face. Their eyes are full of hate, both narrowed with complete and utter fury.

What is this? Is this a warning that Fletcher must be getting close? The two Fletcher's begin to turn the rest of their bodies around, the sickening cracking of bones echoing throughout the otherwise empty clearing.

"Leave me be, kill the others," I call out to both of them. Instead of stopping and searching for Ladonna and Whent like I request them to, they instead sneer at me, as the both begin to walk towards me.

"Leave me alone!" I screech, as they come closer. I watch as one of them reach for the gigantic sword on their backs, still fresh with the blood of Naomi.

"No, go away! Go away!" I squeal, my face beginning to drop in horror as the reality hits me, that I am about to be killed by Fletcher. It begins to happen in slow motion, the Fletcher that grips his sword, slowly swings the sword towards me head. With the slow motion, it gives me time to duck, as the sword sails above my head and slashes into the tree, getting wedged into the trunk.

I frantically rip the rope away from me, which luckily for me isn't tied tightly enough. I am able to slide down the tree so I am no longer restrained by the rope. I ditch the sleeping bag that I have been confined too for the last week, and finally, I'm free.

"Don't kill me, kill them. I have nothing to give you, it's not my time to die!" I cry out, in complete delusion. I stare in horror, as I back away from the two Fletcher's on the ground. The thing is, they look at me with flickering faces, one that keeps switching back to the confused face of Whent, and the other with the sword that switches back to Ladonna.

"_Cassia_," Ladonna's voice echoes softly. It's as if Ladonna is trying to communicate with me, but her voice cannot get through to me. I don't even want it to.

"Kill them!" My hoarse voice pierces the area, full of desperation and hate. I don't wait to find out if the two Fletcher's decide to hunt down Ladonna and Whent, since I can't see them anymore, instead I decide to leave.

Just moments ago, my body was capable of compiling so much energy into my escape from the sleeping bag, and even crawling away from the Fletcher duo. Now, I cannot bring myself to even jog. All I do is walk. I glide across the ground, my arms straight and motionless at my side.

"_Cassie_!" Someone's more frantic voice calls out. This time I believe it was Whent. Regardless, it doesn't make me stop. I continue to walk, disappearing into the blackness that is the trees, becoming the shadows that can conceal me from the danger that is my 'alliance'.

_"We need to find her, we can't leave her out there," _I hear a distant voice state, sounding so far away it's like a whisper to me. However, something internally says something. _I cannot allow that to happen. Cassia Summers. Escape. Or kill._

As I walk the voice rings through my head, causing it to pound. This is the clearest I've ever heard the voice, and now it's giving me a direct message. Evade or Kill. I stop for a moment, hiding behind a pitch black tree.

Should I kill? I do want to kill Ladonna, I cannot deny that. The option is full of temptation, very powerful indeed. I am on the brink of deciding to hide until Ladonna passes by, and then I can slit her throat, taking her by surprise. Then I remember the two Fletcher's, and how that is all I'm seeing Ladonna as. I cannot go back; she is as good as dead anyways.

Now I wander aimlessly, not knowing where to go. It doesn't matter where I go, as long as I am no longer with them. The voice continues to speak, to riddle my mind with tasks and plans, to overwhelm my immediate thought process with ideology and my future. I can feel myself becoming corrupted, the entity warping every sense of reality I have within me, changing me once again to become even more than before. But. . . It's too much.

I cannot do this any longer, it's hurting me, it's destroying my sense of everything. I don't know what's real anymore.

"Please. Just leave me ALONE!" I screech, holding my hands to the sides of my temples. I shut my eyes, feeling the tears escaping them. What have I become? I wanted to be safe, but this is too far. I need it to stop, this entity needs to take me back a step.

"Cassie." I hear the voice cry out to me, causing me to turn around to meet its source. I want to run, but I can't, my body cannot do it. I watch as Fletcher runs at me with the sword, just like he did with Naomi. I feel the sword rupture through me rib cage, with so much force that it knocks both Fletcher and I to the ground, with him on top of me and embracing me tightly so that I cannot escape. He has finally caught me.

I look down, seeing a sword in my chest. Green blood drips from my wound, as Fletcher yanks the sword out of my body. Where is the pain? Why am I not experiencing the pain? Why am I not dead yet? Fletcher lifts me up, and I expect him to finish me off now. Cut me down again, snap my neck, I don't care, as long as it happens before I begin to feel the pain from my other wound.

However, he tosses me over his shoulder, lumbering away while carrying me with him. Before too long, I feel myself pushed against a tree. I watch in confusion as he opens my mouth, before stuffing a few pills inside. I swallow them, not knowing what to expect. Perhaps he has decided to poison me. I'm very wrong.

About a minute later, my hallucinations begin to fade. The environment transforms to what it had been a mere ten minutes ago, my non-existent wound fades away, as does the green blood. To my horror, so does Fletcher. Both of them. Now in view, is a concerned Ladonna, and a weary Whent.

I'm back. I failed to escape.

* * *

_Day 8: Evening_

* * *

**Theia Cartelle, 16, D1:**

What have I become? I ask this in fear, in disgust, with Dana's blood still covering me from bottom to chest. I mean, if I took one good hard look at myself, I would be full of disappointment. What I've been reduced to, it's a despicable thought. I'm weak, with injury and fatigue from my last fight and interaction with a tribute. That fight was with Haim.

Now I'm not saying what I endured wasn't worth it to kill him. . . but I didn't fucking kill him. Haim is still alive. I don't know how, but Haim survived, and is either still in that abyss somewhere, or has made it back to mainland. All of what I received, my severe cut that I received from his spear, the nonstop evasion from that area, all for nothing. Perhaps it was karma, for what I did to Dana.

Well, here I am, at the absolute lowest point in my life, completely alone, hurt, and without a clue on what to do. My mindset that I had for being in this arena is completely gone, hell, my drive to do anything has been dampened beyond belief. I'm not being intelligent, I haven't been resourceful, strategic, I've been none of those things. I've become a complete savage. I always knew I had it in me, but not to that extent.

Those things that I did to Dana, driven by complete and utter hatred, all for what? Her trying to survive? To do well in the Pillar Trial of all things? Her death was completely pointless, completely in vain. Things like that have dawned on me these past couple of days, just like how horrible I am.

But I can't stop. By myself, there is nothing I can do to stop this primitive nature. Dana didn't at all deserve what happened to her, but I act instead of think, not the reverse. I know I'll regret the way I killed Dana for the rest of my life, however long that may be. If I die, well that's never going to bother me again. I know she had to die, there is no doubting that. To survive, she would have to be one of the other 23 tributes that die. However, it was never stated that the way she had to die would be so gruesome, or so horrific.

Even if I try to redeem myself, even if I lead myself onto a better path, there is no shaking that off my conscience, my history. I'll always have that event, and people will always link that back to me. They will always see me for the monster I once was.

I sigh, looking around at my surroundings. Recently, I've been moving around at night, when it has been dark, and easy for me to sneak around. Currently, I'm too weak to be fighting. I still require my leg to heal from where Haim sliced it, and until then, I should really stay out of the action. There is a problem with that however. Now that I know Haim is still alive out there, if he has healed well enough he could be out looking for me.

Even worse, the United Pack could be hunting tributes by now, and judging from my training score, and my result in the Hunt Trial, I am undoubtedly a threat to them that they need to eliminate. I almost feel my breath catch in my throat, causing me to be on the verge of a coughing fit. That would mean Minho is with them as well.

This is what everything has led up to. All the promise that I showed, that I vowed, all for barely scraping by day by day. I have dropped from the Games top tier players, one of the most deadly, fatal killers, all into a weakened, emotional mess. I never used to care about others, I couldn't care less about the other tributes. Yet, somehow, against all odds, one has. Minho, a boy from District 5 of all places. He drives me crazy, but not in the devastating way.

It's hard for me to describe Minho, the effect he has on me, what I have turned into because of him. I almost can't really work it out. Whenever I am feeling to be in one of my darkest moments, when I feel I am on the verge of giving up, or on the brink of death, or even on the edge of toppling into pure insanity, my mind thinks of Minho. In a way, that is good. However, it is also a distraction. Countless times, I've had to force him out of my mind.

It's not even because I'm attempting to stay true to myself anymore, it's genuinely because I fear it. I'm susceptible to so much damage if I allow myself to submit to any admittance of Minho's effect on me. I just have to keep it in denial, but the problem with that, is that it's growing constantly more difficult.

This leaves me at another crossroad. What do I do now? Do I begin to hunt other tributes again? Do I try to take them out? Or, do I continue to heal, to stay low, and in the shadows for as long as it is necessary? The more I move around, the more my incapability's become prominent, and truly emphasize how incapacitated I am as of now. It angers me that I am in this position, not because I have a desire to hunt, I'm sure that'll come back at some point in time, but because I have been weakened for too many days now.

There have been two deaths since I almost killed Haim, but that isn't nearly enough to satisfy a bloodthirsty Capitol that despises the District's. They want blood, they want death, whether it's us killing each other or not. That means, it's only a matter of time before the Gamemaker's make a move against an inactive and vulnerable tribute, such as myself.

The only person that I can currently think of that would be in a worse position than me, would be Haim. But hell, for all I know he could have been the one to kill Nero. It's unlikely, even though there is no denying Haim's combative skills, he couldn't take on someone as crazy and powerful as Nero was, especially in his state. Surely. . .

Regardless, I feel like I am in a position that I am going to be forced to be involved in some sort of dangerous event. How right I am.

It's roughly an hour later, when the evening has become darker, and the predators have come out to hunt their prey. The sounds of crickets chirping are amongst the loudest of the nightlife, although the odd hoot of an owl is enough to pierce the chirps of the putrid insects. At this point, I believe the night has matured to a late enough point, that I should indeed be safe from any attacks from both tributes and the Gamemaker's.

Setting up camp is not something I have become accustomed to in this arena, because I tend to stay on the run, with all the enemies out there that would be searching for me. That means I don't make a fire to heat myself, I don't make a shelter, or a tent of any sorts. Instead, I climb the tallest tree I can find, searching for a solid set of tree branches that can hold my weight, and strap myself to it as tightly as I can without becoming too uncomfortable.

At first, it's rather peaceful. A soft breeze is all that addresses me, and for once I feel the serenity I have longed for since my fight with Haim. It doesn't last though. That breeze, turns into the worst nightmare I've had to face in this damned arena. My senses become disrupted, as the breeze begins to pick up a scent. Pungent, gross, and something strangely familiar. I open my eyes, confusion seeping from my expression. What is that smell?

Suddenly, a sinking feeling becomes prominent in my gut. Uneasiness, a horrific feeling that I have been suspecting, has finally arrived. I unstrap myself, now trying to make my fatigued body as alert as possible. I scan the area, mainly trying to locate where that profound smell is emitting from. I almost fall out of the tree when a small whistling sound becomes audible, coming from above. I look up through squinted eyes, trying to see through the darkness. That's when I see, a small parachute, with a little box on the end.

I gasp, shocked at what I am seeing. Is this a sponsor gift? What could it be? Hopefully a peg for my nose, or perhaps some air freshener. I grasp onto the box, before opening it carefully, glancing inside with caution. I cry out loud with disappointment, when all I see are a pair of glasses.

"Kite! What the fuck is this?!" I whisper angrily. I'm tempted to throw his useless gift away, until I see the little note that accompanies the glasses. I read it.

_You might want to look around. Good Luck. -Kite_

"Wait. . . are these night vision goggles? Are these a thing?" I ask out loud. I grab them carefully, slipping them onto my face so I can look around. Now any other day, I would be amazed. I can see everything as clear as day, although the sky is a deep shade of violet. Everything else has a hue of blue covering it. Instead of being impressed, I'm absolutely horrified at what I see.

Each tree surrounding me, a figure of a little boy stands on a branch. They aren't just a figure though; I can see what they are made of. They are made of the same stuff that Minho and I faced in the Hunt Trial. They are all made of shit.

In an instant, I'm climbing down the tree, screaming at the top of my lungs. I don't care if any other tribute hears me, I'll take anyone on to escape from these mutts. I still have some small form of PTSD from that event of the Hunt Trial. The idea of feces, and being covered in it, it absolutely frightens me. I would rather kill myself then face another tidal wave of shit.

In this case, it isn't a tidal wave, but more like little faceless boys, made of shit. I think the name Fecal Boys suit them better.

Soon enough, I'm on the ground, frantic as ever as I look around for a direction of escape. To my horror, there isn't a clear path to go, as the Fecal Boys stand still, surrounding me and trapping me inside a circle. I sweat heavily, as I shake in fear, turning around to keep an eye on each one.

There are probably about fifteen of them, surrounding me intently as I helplessly twitch. It's already getting to me, if they start to come any closer, I'm going to freak, yet alone if they touch me. If it comes to that, that's when I will snap.

"Leave me alone, you piles of shit!" I scream, backing up against the tree. This only aggravates them, as now they begin to slowly close in on me.

"No! Please!" I beg, moving sideways against the tree.

"Ow!" I cry out, as something sharp stabs into my back. For a moment, I'm absolutely mortified that one of the Fecal Boys had just attacked me. However, I see a long branch, with the end broken off to become sharp as a spear. I don't have any long range weapons besides throwing knives, and I couldn't think of anything worse than using my weapons on these things. Perhaps, I can use this branch.

I quickly grab ahold of the branch, snapping it off so that it becomes loose. The Fecal Boys have come even closer to reaching me now, so I waste no time. I launch the branch as if it was a spear, sending it through one of the Fecal Boys' head. The branch almost goes the whole way through, however the force sends the Fecal Boy flying back quite a few feet, giving me my only option for escape.

I waste no time in leaping through the gap that I created, somersaulting as I hit the ground. When I get back on my feet, I'm almost face to face with the Fecal Boy that I had hit with the spear. As the horrid smell invades my nostrils, I watch in terror as he faces me, with no face to look at. He grabs the branch, before tearing it out of his head. My jaw drops when the hole that is left begins to regenerate, completely eliminating the gap in his head.

This is when I run. I scream, and I run. Through the eyes of the night vision googles, I evade the trees that whisk past me, as I sprint as hard as I can with my burning injured leg. A quick glance behind me causes me to panic further, as I see the Fecal Boys running after me. Their little legs carry them at an unbelievable speed, a speed that brings them even closer to me.

Seeing the mutts made of feces gaining on me, is what makes me snap. As I run, I completely break down, for the first time since I can remember. I begin to sob, harder than I ever have before. All the horror that I have caused, and all of this grief that I have experienced, it's built up to an emotional crack that I don't even know can be repaired. In my shattered mind, in the broken cage that I have kept locked away for weeks, my epiphany breaks loose.

Now all that I am filled with, is a yearning, a desire, a reality that I can no longer fight.

I love Minho.

I love him. And now, I need him more than ever. He is the only person that can repair the damage that I have done to myself, he is the anchor that holds my sanity, that prevents me from performing such horrendous acts. When I pushed him away, I went all out. I took my anger out on Dana, because I didn't care.

But now, I do. He has some sort of calming effect on me, he makes me human, even though after what I have done, I would beg to differ that I am. The main thing of all though, is that I really think he cares for me. Nobody ever has, nobody but him. He saved me in the Hunt Trial, he talked to me, he helped me in any way he could. Ever since I laid eyes on him, in the Pillar Trial, it has been this way.

I don't care if he is with the United Pack. I need him to help me, to save me from these mutts, to save me from myself.

My scattered mind snaps back to reality, as I run through a clearing. The Fecal Boys are still hot on my heels, but now, my mindset is somewhere else.

"Gamemaker's. I won the Hunt Trial, and it is now that I request my reward. Please, just lead me to Minho," I say breathlessly. Suddenly, I cannot hear the sound of the soft footsteps that the Fecal Boys made with each step. I stop immediately, turning around to see them standing still. A second later, the mutts liquefy, turning into a puddle on the floor. I gasp when the puddles become larger, rising from the ground in a great wave of shit, just like the Hunt Trial. However, instead of crashing down on top of me, it leaves me a fair distance on each side, as it travels in a direct path off to my left.

The waves reach about 20 feet each, likely is impenetrable. Is this the direction that Minho is in? Without thinking, and without care for my wounded leg, I begin to run in the direction that the shit waves lead me. I run, and I don't stop.

* * *

_Day 8: Evening_

* * *

**Fletcher Wilds, 18, D9:**

I'm close. I know it, I can feel it. The time has finally come, I am going to put that little bitch in the ground. I have to say, it did take me a little longer than I initially expected. 8 days longer. Cassia was meant to die at the beginning. Did she? No. Instead, the District 11 girl saved her, by jumping into the path of Life Devourer.

In all honesty, I could probably have reached Cassia and her piss weak little alliance sooner. However, I made a little detour, and got a little distracted. Unintentionally running into another alliance, which ended up working out well for me. I killed the District 4 boy, and now I've racked up a solid three kills. That's the most out of anyone so far.

It's looking up for me, I have the Gamemaker's backing me, although I hate working with that son of a bitch Edison Belkry, but regardless, I would rather have them with me instead of against me. With my body, my skills, my weapon, and the Gamemaker's, how the hell could I possibly not win?

I chuckle slightly at that thought. My intentions aren't even to win. I mean sure, it's an added bonus, but my main enjoyment is getting to slaughter all of these people. And this is without any repercussions. I'm not restrained, locked away like I have been for years in District 9, no I'm free to do as I please, and I sure as hell am making the most of that. That's a slight lie, although it's a lie that I couldn't help.

Her name was Laelia wasn't it? Well whatever it was, she managed to escape me, somehow and someway, she got away, and is still out there now. I have to admit, I was furious when I lost track of her, knowing that I had allowed prey to escape aggravated me beyond belief. It's safe to say, if I had run into anyone in the next couple of days that followed, they would have had the longest, most painful death I could imagine.

Luckily for everyone still alive, nobody did run into me, and luckily for Laelia, she got away. I would probably have kept looking for her, if I wasn't focusing on hunting down Cassia. This map that I have from the Gamemaker's, that is leading me to her, has been phenomenal. I'll have to make her death extra special just for them.

After this, I'll probably try and hunt down Laelia. Nobody can permanently escape from me, and I'm going to prove that. Although, that will be a bit more of a challenge. While hunting for Cassia, I've had a map indicating where they are located the whole time, however, I will not have that for Laelia. I'm going to have to hunt her down just like every other tribute.

I grab ahold of the tablet, which happens to be in my pocket. It still hasn't broken which is good, I would hate to lose my method of finding Cassia. Just like every other time I have used it, I place it on the palm of my hand. My finger meets the circular touch sensor in the middle, causing the neon blue to light up, before projecting the map of the arena once again. I am quite rejoiced to see the blue dot, has not moved once. Not even a little. It remains almost at the top of the mountain, but this time, there is something a little different about the image.

This time, the little red dot has almost reached them. That little red dot, represents me. I grin widely, as I shut the tablet's map, and look up ahead of me. Supposedly, that is where the alliance is situated. I am so close. All of this build up, all of this work, is about to pay off.

I slip the tablet back into my pocket, with my hand grazing the soft fabric of the three hoods that I have collected. I take them out, examining each one with a sinister smile on my face. There is a light blue hood, partially soaked in blood, and having once belonged to Danix. Then there is a charred yellow one, ash discoloring it and having once belonged to my District Partner Ancora. Last of all, there is a relatively clean pink hood, although it is slightly gritty, having once belonged to Naomi.

I look up darkly at the direction that Cassia is in, clenching the hoods in my uninjured hand. It is time to add a brown hood to my collection. It is time to add Cassia's. I rise up to my feet, as I stuff the hoods in my back pocket. I haul my pack over my shoulders, and then I go to grip Life Devourer, my blood coated sword.

The hand that I attempt to grip my sword in however, has a piercing stabbing pain roar through my joints. I look down at my hand in confusion, holding it up as it throbs significantly. My hand still has an ugly wound on it, jagged and pussy, emitting a rather festering aroma. To add salt to the wound, it appears red, and inflamed. That's when I realize, just how serious my injury may actually be.

It's infected.

I stare at my wound for a solid two minutes, the decision on what to do teasing me, just out of my grasp through thought. This could be really bad, I mean, I may be big, but infections don't care about the size of the person, they kill them anyway. Now I'm torn with what to do. Do I refrain from attacking? Do I try and heal my wound? Or do I carry on with what I have been trying to do since the beginning.

The answer is pretty easy. I'm not letting an infection destroy my chances of finally ending Cassia's life. I can take on both her and Whent with my eyes closed, and Ladonna isn't much of a challenge either, I'm sure. I'll finish them all off quickly, well at least after I've had my fun, and then I will seek treatment for my infection.

Wait a minute. I don't even need to seek attention! I have the Gamemaker's backing me up, I have Jonah Welsh eating from the palm of my hand, hell it could be the one with the wound for all I care. They can give me treatment once I do the deed, and then I can eliminate the rest of their chess pieces.

Ahhh. . . Chess. How funny. Chess in all its complexity and strategy, it happens to be one of the fondest memories I have. It reminds me of simpler times, times that I actually felt human, that I actually felt like an ordinary boy. See, I of course never met my parents. Come on, how could someone like me turn out like this when they had their parents around? The clue is, they can't.

The orphanage sure as hell didn't help with my early life. Nobody ever adopted me, I mean, who would ever want to adopt the monstrously large five-year-old boy? The one that looks like a twelve-year-old on the verge of hitting puberty? It was many years before I got out of that profound orphanage. The only thing that got me through that orphanage without slaughtering everyone I came across, was playing chess of all things.

Of course, I did beat the shit out of anyone that denied that I was playing with someone. They said he didn't exist, the man I played against. I heard the voices of the man, the many voices he had, and he existed alright. I know he did. In fact, he helped me to become who I am today. He inspired me to train myself, he inspired me to attack people, to attack the officers that had protected District 9 at the time. After I was detained, I never saw him again. I know I will one day. I'm sure of it.

I shake the thoughts from my mind, fully drawing my focus towards my mission. It is time. I grab Life Devourer with my other hand, before sliding it into the sheath on my back. Now I begin to walk forward, ditching my camp, and the charred remains of my temporary fire. I have had enough of rambling random nonsense to myself, I want to find them.

I hike up the mountain now, the altitude beginning to make the air thinner, and the night breeze colder. When I was looking for Laelia, she had run in the direction of the base of the mountain, meaning she had ran away from the snowy terrain. Now I believe I am starting to come closer to it.

It's a half hour walk, slow and silent in order to stay off the radar, and not to alert possible tributes of my whereabouts. For once, I absolutely do not want to run into another tribute. I don't want any distractions; I just want to achieve my goal.

For a while, the trees are spread quite sparsely. That is until I reach what appears to be the last environmental shift before I discover Cassia and her alliance. The trees become thick, and closely situated. I take a deep and excited breath, before taking a step inside of the winter forest. The moon is no longer able to illuminate the area, as the light cannot access in here. I am completely concealed by the shadows, the only possible give away being my white puffs of breath.

I silently wade in and out of the trees, not stopping until something comes up. And it does. Five minutes into the dark forest, I see a distant clearing, illuminated by a pathetic fire. I make my way closer, until I find thick shrubbery that I can hide in. From this vantage point, I can clearly see the clearing now. It doesn't appear like the occupants have left the place for days, as it seems fairly settled into.

The fire is dull and small; underneath the smallest tarp I've ever seen. An easy thing to spot is Ladonna's tall body, sitting hunched over close to the fire. Nearby, on a log appears to be Whent, who grips a sword's hilt tightly as he glances around with unease. However, the best part is when I see Cassia. She sits ups against a thick tree, resting in a sleeping bag with her head faltering down. It's as if she is knocked out cold.

I cannot help but smirk as I take in the scene in front of me. I have finally found them. The time has come.

Tomorrow morning.

When it is day.

It will be time.

To come out and play.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**That was a long time. Ugh almost two months, I haven't felt this bad in ages. I'm really sorry to anyone still reading, it really isn't acceptable. If I'm being honest, I had slight writers block for a while, so that was somewhat of a struggle. In addition, I got distracted by of course school, but something else as well.**

**I can't say I haven't been writing, because I was! And that took so long as well. Not sure if anyone noticed, but I made a new story! Another Hunger Games one with my own OC's! I wrote 6 POV's for the first Reaping chapter and that was well over 20,000 words. Wow. Anyways, feel free to check that out, it would be really appreciated, and don't worry that story isn't replacing this.**

**So what did you think of this chapter? Phionex is growing increasingly skeptical of Vince and Liesel's affiliation, Cassia has completely and utterly snapped, Theia has realized she has fallen in love with Minho and used her Hunt Trial reward, and quite possibly the biggest cliffhanger of all. . . Fletcher has found the Terrific Trio. **

**Next chapter is a big one guys, it's called **_**Love Conquers All, **_**and shit's about to go down. Hopefully it will not take nearly as long to get it out! See you next time, and remember to check out my new story, 129th Hunger Games: Roulette!**

**-Ares**

* * *

Remaining Districts:

**District 1**

**District 2**

**District 3**

**District 4**

**District 5**

**District 6**

**District 7**

**District 8**

**District 9**

**District 10**

**District 11**

**District 12**

* * *

_Remaining Tributes:_

**Haim Peridot - District 1**

**Theia Cartelle - District 1**

**Ladonna Gully - District 2**

**Dayta Owens - District 3**

**Liesel Varner - District 3**

**Rhode Nerida - District 4**

**Minho Lyun - District 5**

**Laelia Webber - District 5**

**Aramid Vicuna - District 6**

**Hera Loughbrook - District 6**

**Atlas Verdini - District 7**

**Phionex Blast - District 7**

**Rexx Kerdom - District 8**

**Libra Spindle - District 8**

**Fletcher Wilds - District 9**

**Vince Rojarze - District 10**

**Cassia Summers - District 10**

**Quinn Holland - District 11**

**Whent Lush - District 12**

* * *

_Alliances:_

_United Pack 1:_** Rexx D8, Libra D8, Hera D6**

_United Pack 2:_** Vince D10, Phionex D7, Liesel D3**

_United Pack 3:_** Minho D5, Aramid D6, Atlas D7**

_Terrific Trio:_** Ladonna D2, Cassia D10, Whent D12**

_Loners:_

**Theia D1**

**Haim D1**

**Dayta D3**

**Rhode D4**

**Laelia D5**

**Fletcher D9**

**Quinn D11**

* * *

_Killers:_

**Fletcher Wilds- **3

**Theia Cartelle- **1

**Haim Peridot- **1


	42. Love Conquers All

_Day 9: Morning_

* * *

**Ladonna Gully, 18, D9:**

"Ladonna." I briefly hear someone whisper into my ear. I don't take much notice of it however, as I am sleeping deeply.

"Ladonna." It's much louder now, and I feel a hard shove against my back. I jolt awake, looking around frantically at the newly introduced day. That's when I spot Whent, kneeled beside me, trying to wake me up.

"What?" I ask groggily and confused.

"We need to leave _now. _Something bad is going to happen, I just know it," he says frantically, voice shaky and fearful.

"Whent. . . there isn't any rush, we need to make sure we are organized," I sigh, shaking my head.

"You don't understand Ladonna, we need to go now. We are in immense danger!" he almost cries, his eyes watering as he stares at me. All I do is frown in response.

"Why do we need to go this minute?" I ask unsurely.

"I've received a warning, from my Escort," he says with high pitch.

"What, like a note?" I ask.

"No! They aren't allowed to send notes that reveal things!" He replies, getting angry.

"Then how do you know?"

"July sent me a bunch of random items. I took the first letter from the name of each item, in the order that she sent them and put them together. . ."

"So. . ."

"She sent lettuce first. L. She sent an egg next. E. Then she sent an apple. A. After that she sent a vial. V. And last of all, she sent an eggplant. E."

"What does it spell?"

"LEAVE! IT SPELLS LEAVE LADONNA! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE OR WE ARE GOING TO DIE!" Whent shouts frantically. After doing so, his eyes widen in terror, before he slams two hands over his mouth.

"Oh no, I shouldn't have screamed," he whimpers.

"Are you sure Whent?" I ask him with concern.

"Yes! Come on! Grab Cassie and let's get out of here before we all die!" He exclaims, leaping to his feet. I do the same, grabbing my war hammer, and looking around wildly for what we need to quickly take. That's when I see the items that Whent was talking about, all arranged in the order they came in. I shudder, the thought of what could be coming for us endlessly bouncing around my mind.

"Cassie, come on, we are getting out of here!" Whent cries out, reaching Cassie and trying to lift her up.

"LET ME GO!" Cassie screams, shaking violently and trying to loosen Whent's grip on her.

"Cassie please, we're trying to help!" Whent pleads.

"LEAVE ME ALONE, LET ME GO, I NEED TO LEAVE!" She shrieks, attempting to bite Whent in her bid to escape.

"Cassie!" Whent exclaims in annoyance.

"I'LL KILL YOU WHENT LUSH, AND I'LL KILL YOU LADONNA GULLY!" She roars, her voice growing more delirious with every word. Does she know something is coming too? She hasn't done this at all, why do it now? Suddenly, she stops trying to free herself. She almost seems paralyzed, as she stares with stony eyes. Both Whent and I look at each other, evidently freaked out.

"He is here," she says quietly.

"Who?!" I cry out.

"Me."

The voice is deep, gruff, and disturbingly victorious. Both Whent and I spin around in horror, as we are met by the sight of Fletcher Wilds. He grins sinisterly at us, eyes filled with lunacy as he tightly grips his humongous sword, the one he used to kill Naomi, that's still stained with crimson blood. He bellows a laugh, before relaxing his body once again.

"Well, it's nice to see you three once again. You know, this could have all been over during the beginning. You could have handed her over, and you would still have Naomi. From what I've witnessed, she hasn't been worth keeping has she? She tried to free herself from you? She threatened to kill you? That's not a team player, is it?" Fletcher teases, playing with his sword as he stares maliciously at us. Neither Whent nor I say a word. Whent is likely struck with fear, while I am standing my ground, defiantly as I can.

Fletcher chuckles, as he shows off his sword.

"I see you're staring at my sword once again. I don't blame you, she is magnificent. I named her as well since we last met. Life Devourer, it's just perfect. She's waiting to meet Cassia personally, so you know. . . she is so close, might as well introduce the two," Fletcher tries to bargain.

"Why on earth, would we want to do that?" I growl at him, rising taller to match his height. He smirks, examining me with a tilt of his head.

"Oh, I can think of plenty of reasons as to why you should indeed do that," he says venomously.

"Yeah? Give me one good reason," I spit.

"Well. . . I would say your lives are a fairly good reason. Didn't you say you have people back in District 2 to care for Ladonna?" And you Whent, I'm sure you don't want to die, for someone that just attempted to bite you, and threatened to kill you," Fletcher questions.

"You've threatened to kill me," Whent responds flatly. Fletcher's eyes flick to Whent.

"Now hold on, I've simply offered an alternative, to something far less harmful than that," Fletcher justifies.

"That was then, this is now. We declined, and now here we are again," I grunt, my hand clenched tightly around the hilt of my hammer. Fletcher scratches his growing facial hair, humming in consideration.

"Hmmm, that is true. You did deny my offer, and for that, I should be slaughtering all three of you," he remarks, deep in thought before holding up a finger.

"But, I haven't done that. What does that say to you?" He challenges.

"It tells me that you enjoy to taunt before you kill?" I respond. This causes him to laugh.

"I'll give you that Ladonna, you aren't as stupid as everyone else perceives you to be. Honestly, you aren't wrong. But that is not my intention for today," he informs us.

"Then what is?" I snarl. He smiles, before pacing back and forth.

"Now I imagine you are aware about how vocal I am in my desire to kill Cassia, am I right?" He asks. When he receives no response, he continues.

"Well, I'm deciding to be just as merciful as last time. I am going to present to you the same offer as before. You hand over Cassia, and you two can leave with your lives," he suggests, an eyebrow raised.

"You think we are going to take that deal? After all that we have endured, you think we are just going to throw it all away, have it all be for nothing, just to give into your demands?" I ask furiously.

"I'll throw in a bonus. I won't even hunt you guys down during the rest of the Hunger Games. I'll leave you two alone, until we are potentially in the final three. That is if you don't die beforehand," he grins savagely.

"You're just going to kill us after we give her to you," Whent speaks up. Fletcher glares at Whent, gritting his teeth.

"You two idiots don't listen, do you? I said, you are free to go if you hand her over. If I wanted to kill you, I could have killed each and every one of you by now. But I haven't. I've refrained from that, to try and strike up a deal with you. So, I repeat my offer one last time. It's Cassia, or all of you," he growls.

This is it, the moment to decide. I cannot deny, his offer sounds incredibly tempting. Cassie, I'm not even sure why I am still protecting her, I just am. No, I know why I am. I'm doing it for Naomi, I'm doing it because I'm staying true to my beliefs. I know Cassie hates me, hell I know it isn't even Cassie anymore.

If I give up Cassie, I could secure safety for Whent and I. The offer is too strong; I'm finding it hard to not accept. But I can't. I can't give her up. My love for my alliance is too much. My love conquers all the temptation, and I make up my mind. No.

I glance at Whent, to see what conclusion he has come to. To my horror, I see him gripping onto Cassie's wrist.

"Fine, we give her up for our own safety," Whent insists, beginning to drag her over to Fletcher.

"What?! Whent! What are you doing?" I cry out in shock. He turns to me, falseness in his eyes.

"We need to Ladonna, it's our only chance we have," he says to me.

"Well I'm glad someone is being sensible," Fletcher commends.

I'm about to scream at Whent, shout at him, curse him for what he is doing. However, I manage to see what Whent mouths to me.

_Trust me. _

My words catch in my throat, and all I can do is watch. Whent turns back towards a gleeful Fletcher, and that's when I see what he holds behind his back. His Obsidian Sword. Whent told me that obsidian does something to your skin, but I forget what it was. My heart stops when I see Whent is about to reach Fletcher. Then it all unfolds. As if it was in slow motion, all over again, just like Naomi's death.

Fletcher reaches out for Cassie, until Whent flings her back, causing her to fly back to me. I don't even catch Cassie, I just let her land next to me, and roll beside me. I'm too focused on watching Whent.

Fletcher's face turns sour, as anger surges through his system. He turns to Whent, as Whent pulls his Obsidian Sword out, raising it behind his head. Fletcher's eyes widen, as he watches the sword come swinging down towards the left side of his neck.

However, before the sword can pick up too much speed, Fletcher grabs the obsidian blade with his left hand. I watch in horror as Fletcher stops in shock. I hear a sizzling sound emitted from the blade. Fletcher begins to roar in pain, as the blade he grips catches fire, directly where his hand is. That's when it happens.

Fletcher rips the sword from Whent's hand, causing Whent to become off balanced. Fletcher tosses Whent's sword at my feet, before glaring at Whent in such a rage, that his head might combust. In his pain, Fletcher dropped Life Devourer on the ground, but it appears he doesn't even need it. My jaw drops in horror, as Fletcher grips Whent's shoulder, before taking out a small blade from his pocket.

All I see is the back of Whent, as it looks like Fletcher thrusts the blade into his forehead. Whent screams out in pain, before Fletcher drops him and he collapses to the ground. I don't even hear Whent's cannon, because it's drowned out by my screaming.

"NOOOO!" My shout lasts for an eternity in my mind, but it's then, when everything speeds up again. My grip is tight on the hammer, as I charge at Fletcher. In this time, he has had time to pick up Life Devourer, which he uses to block my swing. With all the rage that I put into my swing, it actually gives so much force that he is pushed back a couple of steps. He recovers quickly however, and manages to push my hammer back. He swings towards my neck, but I manage to stumble out of the way just in time.

"You will pay for this you son of a bitch!" I roar, attempting to smash my hammer down on his cranium. He almost fully dodges, but it knocks his shoulder, which causes him to bark out in pain.

"You fucking whore, I'll kill you," he bellows back, evading another swing from my hammer, and punching me in the jaw with as much force as he can muster. My head is throttled sideways, causing my body to be thrown so hard that I fall against a nearby tree. My jaw screams in pain, while I can feel the taste of metallic blood become prominent in my mouth.

I subconsciously spit out two teeth, which is a lot more disturbing and painful then what it appears to be when watching it on a TV. When I turn back to Fletcher, I'm almost too late. I spot the blade of Life Devourer rocketing towards my face. I dive out of the way, hearing a _thunk _as the blade is wedged into the tree.

As Fletcher aims to pry the sword from the tree, I try to recover. I spot Cassie's sickle that she never used on the ground near our supplies, which I grab and tuck into my waistband as swiftly as I can. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Fletcher swinging the sword above his head. I roll out of the way as it sinks into the ground, directly where my chest had just been.

I leap to my feet, smashing my hammer into his chest. I hear a few cracks, meaning that I surely have broken a couple of ribs. He grunts, as his body is slammed into the same tree he hit with the sword.

Instead of cursing me, he just laughs maniacally.

"You think you can beat me? You aren't even the Terrific Trio anymore! More like the Dreadful Duo, because you know, I just killed your buddy Whent," he taunts me. Unfortunately, it works. I charge at him, screaming my lungs out. But he is quicker to think than I am. He sweeps my feet out from underneath me, which causes me to drop my hammer, and land on the ground hard. I groan, as I become winded.

That changes to a scream as I feel a burning stab enter my left shoulder. Tears well up in my eyes, as I gasp for breath, trying to take control of the situation. I look at Fletcher, who grins at me maliciously. He still holds the hilt of the knife that he has shanked into my shoulder. The same knife that he used to kill Whent.

"Now I'm going to gut you like the pig that you are," he growls. Just as he is about to take out the knife to disembowel me, I spit blood and saliva into his eyes, causing him to roar out in anger, as he blindly tries to wipe the blood from his eyes. I grab the sickle from my waistband with my free right arm, and I swing it at his face.

Unbeknownst to Fletcher, he moves his head almost just in time. But it isn't fast enough. If I wasn't so focused and determined, I would watch in disgust, as the blade of the sickle slices through his left ear, cutting it clean off. My eyes widen, as all I see on the left side of his head, is a bloody gaping hole. I push him off as he shouts his agony out to the world.

I am about to escape, when I feel something preventing it. I turn around, seeing that Fletcher is grasping onto my hood. I don't think twice, before using the sickle to slice it off from the base. I make a run for it, to get in a better position to finish him off, but somehow, Fletcher leaps onto me. He holds a tight arm around my neck, as I try to elbow him in the side. However, he uses this opportunity to grab the sickle from my hand. My eyes widen, as he slices my stomach across, causing my intestines to spill out in front of me. I manage to hold them in, but I feel the blood begin to soak through my clothes.

Fletcher uses this time to stab me in the chest three or four times, causing me to grow weaker, and my breaths to become more ragged. Although my head is going light, I give one last effort. Ripping the knife that Fletcher stabbed me with earlier out of my shoulder, I stab it violently into his right side as many times as I can. This causes him to let me go, roaring out in pain like a wounded animal.

I expect him to finish me off now, to cut my head off or something, but it never comes. I only see him hobbling off and fleeing, escaping the area with Life Devourer being dragged behind him, and leaving me in my critical state. As I watch him leave, I begin to cough up blood, and soon I'm on all fours, holding my intestines in as I try to bear the burning pain from the stabs in my chest. He must have got my lungs, there is no way he missed them.

I collapse into the mud, rolling over on my back to try and keep everything in my body. It's over, it's all over. I look over to where I last saw Cassie. She is gone. She ditched us, she left us to be killed by Fletcher. I begin to sob, which hurts me to do. Every movement my chest goes through feels like it is getting exploded.

I've lost, I'm going to die soon. I'm never going to see Benny again, I've lost Naomi, I've lost Whent, all for someone that didn't care.

_"Ladonna," _a voice whispers feebly. Although it hurts, I turn my head as fast as I can to the direction of the voice. The voice, belongs to Whent. I stare at him with tears in my eyes. He has managed to get up onto his knees, and is crawling over towards me. I stare at him, and he stares at me. . . with one eye. Fletcher didn't stab him in the forehead, he stabbed him through his left eye. Whent holds a hand to where his eye used to be, which does little to stop the blood flow.

He manages to crawl over to me, which causes me to breakdown in tears.

"Whent, I thought you were dead," I sob. He doesn't say anything, he just stares at me with his one big blue eye, his gaze full of sympathy.

"Ladonna, you're going to be okay, w-we will heal you," He mutters in shock.

"We?" I ask softly.

"Cassie and I," he informs me.

"Whent, Cassie ditched us, she left us to die," I tell him, full of sadness. He stares at me in disbelief, before glancing up to search for her.

"N-no," he whispers, a tear escaping his eye.

"Whent. . . I'm going to die, you need to be. . . strong," I stutter.

"Y-you're not going to die, you c-can't! I've lost Naomi, Dana, I-I can't lose you too, you're all I have left!" He cries out. I cough up more blood, this time much more than the previous occurrence. This seems to get through to him.

"I'm going to win for you Ladonna," he says solemnly. I smile at him, as my vision fades even more, and my conscience mind begins to drift even further.

"Thank you Whent. . . for being. . . my friend. . ." I whisper, before my eyes close forever.

* * *

_Day 9: Morning_

* * *

**Minho Lyun, 17, D5:**

My head perks up when I hear a cannon echo throughout the arena. Another tribute dead. That brings the tally to six dead tributes. I know I'm meant to be happy whenever I hear one of those cannons. It should mean another step home. Instead, I cannot help but worry. Because any of those cannons could belong to Theia.

The longer I spend away from her, the more I want to see her. It's uncanny to think that I have turned into this lovesick puppy, especially with how I was a few days prior to even speaking to Theia for the first time. Yet, here I am.

I sigh, shaking my head in annoyance. This is stupid. I probably will never see Theia again, and she's just a distraction at this point. This is the Hunger Games, and it is meant to be about killing the other tributes to make it back home. So why have I fallen into this lust for one of them.

I should be focusing on our current task. We are trying to find the rest of our separated alliance. The three of us, Aramid, Atlas and I have split up to try and seek out the others. I'm not quite sure if that was the smartest decision. I mean, yes we can all hold our ground against the other tributes, but we are stronger in numbers.

In all honesty, though, I'm not even sure that will help the three of us. I must be the only one of us that has noticed, but tensions are running unbelievably high between Atlas and Aramid. Specifically, from Aramids standpoint. I don't even think Atlas has caught onto how much Aramid seems to despise him.

It's not my task to tell him however, nor do I want to. All that would do is cause a bigger rift, and if serious enough, the end to our alliance. Maybe even in bloodshed. So, that's great for me, being stuck in quite possibly the most catatonic alliance out of them all. It wouldn't be so bad if the rest of us were here, but it's me alone with these two, what am I meant to do if it turns violent?

The thing is at this stage, I don't know if it will turn violent, and I won't until I meet back up with them. I'm hunting solo right now, mainly because I couldn't stand to be with the two of them for a second longer. Hell, that cannon probably was for one of them. For all I know, Aramid or Atlas could have just died.

If I'm being realistic though, I'm sure that isn't the case. Despite how tense the two of them are, neither is stupid enough to kill the other off, just yet at least. Yet, even with all of that, it's still not my biggest concern. My biggest concern is making up my mind, in whether I should leave them or not. Yes, District 5 was a big ally to District 6 and 7 during the war. But this isn't the war anymore. I'm probably better off leaving now, rather than waiting around until I'm killed in my sleep when only a few of us remain.

To be quite honest, I don't really like these two that much. Sure, I don't mind them, but they are really pissing me off, and if anything, I'm getting held back despite Atlas' undoubtedly impressive combative abilities. I could be on my own, hunting down the rest of my competition, taking them out and proving to the Capitol that District 5 is the most glorious District. I could call them District 0, but that's pointless now. If I'm to live out the rest of my life under the eyes and influence of them, I must get used to shitty little things like calling them the Capitol.

As I'm thinking this, the idea of leaving the United is becoming more and more tempting. But there is something, a little minuscule thing, that is holding me back. I just can't bring myself to do it. Is it that I have too much respect for my old allied Districts? Is it my loyalty? Regardless, I cannot bring it in myself to do it just yet.

I shake my head, sucking in a deep breath through my nose, in preparation to sigh. However, my eyes widen, while it feels like my nose hairs singe. Instantly a sick feeling emerges in my stomach, and I am forced to cover my nose. I internally scream for my life, as the all too familiar smell of raw sewage invades my nostrils. It triggers the memories in my mind, and my thoughts flash back to falling, sailing downwards into the wave of excrement, as I stared up at Theia helplessly.

The feeling of the texture enveloping my body, the ghastly smell that obliterated my senses, it hurts to remember. However, when I see the wave of it, heading right towards me, I stand still. I watch helplessly, clueless on what to do, how to save myself. It sails towards me as two giant walls, probably ready to surround me.

I don't have the energy to run, all I can do is watch. I drop my weapon, hearing the thud as it connects with the ground. I drop to my knees, feeling empty and weak. I just cannot bring myself to go on. What's the point?

The fecal wave is about to hit me; however it comes to a sudden stop. Instead, I see the point, what makes it worth going on. I struggle to fathom what is going on, as Theia stumbles out of the path in between the two giant walls, evidently disturbed and jumpy.

"Theia?" I say blankly, staring at her matty white blonde hair, and her disturbingly pale face. I can tell that she is injured, and she is obviously unconceivably traumatized as of now. She blankly stares at me, shaking and twitching. I slowly get up, taking careful steps towards her in order to show I am not aggressive. I am not completely sure of her motives, what if she is here to kill me? Does she even recognize me in this paranoid state?

I make sure to leave my weapon on the ground, to show I'm completely defenseless and not at all a threat. As soon as I'm about to reach her, she drops her packs to the ground. She begins to uncontrollably sob, as she falls forward. I manage to catch her, holding her tightly to my chest as she buries her face into my chest. I stand awkwardly, not knowing how to react. I've never had to experience something like this before.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," I say softly. She looks up at me, electric blue eyes contrasting heavily against the red she has around her eyes. Tears still well up in her eyes, and some trail down her dirty rosy cheeks. Even during the Hunt Trial, I've never seen Theia more vulnerable. What has happened to her these last nine days? She isn't showing any psychopathic traits, it's as if she is just completely human. A broken human.

As I stare into her eyes, I realize the situation I'm in. I can't take her into my alliance. Atlas and Aramid will surely kill her, as would Rexx most likely. But I can't turn her away, not in a state like this. Anyone else, I would have killed by now. But not Theia. I can't. What can I do?

"P-please, don't leave me, a-again," Theia whispers. Suddenly, my mind has been set.

"Of course not, from now on, we are in this together," I reply. With that, I grab my weapon, as well as her packs, and I take her along with me. What good is the United to me anyways? To me, it's just another obstacle. Now is the real game.

* * *

_Day 9: Afternoon_

* * *

**Aramid Vicuna, 16, D6:**

"It has been hours, Atlas!"

"So we should just give up like that?"

"Yes! Because he clearly gave up on us!"

"You don't know that, Minho wouldn't do that to us."

"Um, yes he would. He has probably gone to look for his District partner, which I honestly don't blame him for. I want to do the same for Hera, but you seem hellbent on finding a tribute from a different District from your own!" The last thing I shout echoes throughout the arena. It's only a few seconds later that I realize what I just screamed, and it makes my eyes widen slightly. Wow, I actually just went there.

Atlas turns around, eyes dark and teeth gritted. I stand my ground as he bites his lower lip, his fist clenching tightly around his axe. For a moment, I'm not completely sure on how he is going to react. At the moment, he looks like he is about to attack me. However, he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, before releasing and looking at me once again.

"First off, never talk about Libra like that again. Ever! Secondly, she is in your best interests as well since they are all in our alliance," Atlas grunts through gritted teeth. I stare at him, trying to prevent myself from attacking him. It takes everything in my power to do so.

"Who even says they still consider themselves to be part of our alliance anymore? They could have even left us on purpose," I suggest warily, unsure of if Atlas might completely flip at the comment. Luckily, Atlas just laughs in exasperation.

"So you think Hera would have done that to you? Your own District partner? Your best friend?" Atlas challenges me. I open my mouth to talk back, but I hesitate, as I know he is right. Hera wouldn't just do that to me.

"Minho did," I shoot back quietly. I don't know if I come across as upset, or depressed at this comment, but suddenly, Atlas appears to be quite softer, and not aggressive towards me. This causes me to raise my eyebrow, mainly out of complete confusion. What's with this sudden change of attitude?

"Look, I know what you're going through. You don't know where Hera is, and you don't know if you'll ever see her again. The same thing happened to me when I lost my parents," Atlas sighs, leaning back against the tree, and sliding down to the ground. So, he thinks I'm going through a hard time right now? Is that it? Man is this guy oblivious, my issue is with him!

"You knew that your parents were dead. I don't know if that cannon was for Hera," I bite back.

"And I don't know if that was for Libra, or Phionex. The point is, I know what it feels like to lose someone," Atlas responds softly. I shake my head in frustration. I don't need to hear this, it's as if he thinks I'm a young child, that needs comforting after losing a loved one. I don't need to be degraded like this anymore.

Suddenly, a thought occurs in my mind. I don't even need Atlas anymore. Hell, I only put up with him for the sake of our alliance, for the sake of Minho. But Minho has gone, he has ditched us, and Atlas cannot seem to accept that. So, the question is what do I do now?

_Kill him. _

A whisper of a voice in my mind suggests the idea, as I tune out whatever he says. My chest flutters from the idea, but I'm not sure if it is due to nerves or excitement. I feel my skin crawling with the idea. Could I do it? Could I actually fight Atlas, and completely take him out of the competition? Perhaps I could do it sneakily, and take that charismatic cocky bastard out for good. Sure, I'm capable, but should I do it?

How do I explain his death to the rest of the alliance when I find them? Muttations? Another tribute? And even if I do find it in my heart to lie to them, and they believe this lie, how do I keep it from them? For all I know, the Capitol may somehow inform them just to break us up, and put complete and utter drama into the arena.

_But it would be so worth it. _I think this with heavy temptation, and my own mind eggs on my will to do this treacherous act. Do I care that it is treacherous at this point? Of course not, I just want to kill Atlas. None of the others would ever have to know.

"Minho will find his way to us soon enough, and then we can continue looking for the others," Atlas assures me.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I say blankly, staring avidly at Atlas.

"What, so you've changed your mind?" Atlas smirks. This irks enough anger, deep in my chest to set my mind on my chosen path.

"I think I have," I reply, playing along to put him underneath a false sense of security. He steps closer, sincerity completely filling his eyes.

"We have to stick together Aramid, we are stronger when united. I promise, we will find Hera," he swears. I nod my head stiffly, judging when the best moment to attack would be.

Should I fight him properly? I feel like it would be cowardly not to, but I'm already going in a direction that suggests it would be really weird to just warn him I'm going to fight and kill him.

"Do you know what direction Minho may have gone in?" Atlas asks, turning away and scratching his head. He walks up to a tree, leaning against it and staring off into the trees, assumingly trying to catch a glimpse of him.

"No idea," I utter, my hand slowly slipping behind me, pressing against my lower back. The more that I stare at him, the angrier I get. This sick bastard, likely just using Libra for a popularity boost. That's a cold thing to do. He is searching so effortfully for her, just to prove that he 'loves' her.

I find myself gripping onto the sleek cool hilt of my scythe, slowly drawing it from its sheath. I try to do it as quietly as possible, staring intently at the back of Atlas' head, as it is pulled from the sheath. It's time, it's finally time to end Atlas, once and for all.

"Did you hear that? It sounds like people talking," Atlas exclaims, instantly readying himself as he watches out for people.

"Yeah I'm sure you did," I sneer at him. He seems to miss the cold, sarcastic tone that I clearly give my bitter words. I raise the scythe up, taking it above my head for a big swing. I need to be precise, so he dies instantly and cannot fight back, or shout out.

"I-I think I see people," he whispers, leaning forward as he tries to make out who these imaginary people are.

"Hopefully they don't kill us," I say in mock horror. That's when it all happens. I grit my teeth in preparation to swing, just a Atlas gasps in shock. My eyes are squinted shut, and finally, I slam down the scythe with all my might. The scythe makes contact, causing a hard thunk. I'm completely confused for a moment, as it doesn't at all feel right. When I open my eyes, I find out why. Atlas has leaped to his feet, and is already sprinting away.

My scythe has been lodged into the tree trunk, causing me to grunt in agitation. What in the world? Why did he run? Out of frustration, I pry the scythe out of the tree, stumbling back a step with the force required.

"Atlas! What the fuck are yo-" my words are cut off by complete and utter shock. I stop dead in my tracks, as I see the reason as to why Atlas has sprinted of. Atlas currently is embracing Libra. The two of them hug tightly, as Rexx stands awkwardly a few feet away. For a moment, I don't know how to react, should I be happy we found members of our alliance? Should I be pissed that I didn't get to kill Atlas? I'm not really thinking of either right now, because I now notice the three of the, stare at me.

Before I react, Libra smiles, parting with Atlas to reveal a girl behind her. For a second, I'm about to throw my scythe, I'm about to scream at Libra to watch out for the tribute behind her. That is before I recognize the tribute. Hera.

I'm in shock, my scythe drops to the ground beside me as I stare in disbelief and astonishment. Hera is the one to move, she strides towards me, embracing me in a hug when she reaches me. It's her, it's really her, the same blonde soft hair, the same sweet fragrance, although it has faded since time has gone by, but still her all the same.

All I can manage to do, is close my eyes and rest my emotions. I've got her now, my best friend out of these remaining 18 tributes. After 9 long days, the majority of us are once again, united.

* * *

_Day 9: Evening_

* * *

**Quinn Holland, 16, D11:**

"Sooo. . ."

"So what Naomi?" I reply out of frustration. I already know what she is going to ask, but it gives me dread before the words have left her lips.

"When?"

"When am I what?"

"When are you going to hunt him down?" I close my eyes, breathing deeply.

"Naomi, I don't think I'm going to hunt him down," I shake my head.

"Why not?" She snarkily replies.

"Hmm, I wonder why, oh yeah, because he is fucking massive, is the most dangerous tribute alive, and will surely kill me upon coming into contact with him," I bite back, crossing my arms. Naomi looks at me with a hurt expression on her face.

"You promised," she sobs.

"Naomi, I promised before I knew who it was that killed you. Do you really want me to join you in the afterlife?" I exclaim.

"It wouldn't make a difference, you're already able to contact me now," Naomi points out.

"Whatever, I'm not doing it. I don't have a death wish," I say firmly.

"Stop being stubborn Quinn," Naomi scolds me. This causes me to laugh in bewilderment.

"I'm being stubborn? I'm the one that's trying to stay alive, I'm making decisions that won't kill me Naomi!" I reply.

"You won't survive if he stays alive," Naomi tries to argue.

"Nuh uh, someone else can take him down, I'm out," I insist. Naomi shakes her head out of frustration.

"Quinn, look at the advantage you have," she says as she crosses her arms. I look up at her, not sure what she means.

"Advantage? What advantage?" I respond. She puts her hands on her hips, glaring at me.

"Me! I'm the advantage you moron!" She almost screams. My eyes widen at her outburst.

"Okay, okay jeez. I'm sorry!" I assure her, holding up my hands defensively, in case she gets into one of those aggressive hateful moods.

"You have this crazy ability to contact the damn dead, and you don't even think you could potentially use that to your advantage?" She asks.

"What you mean like, raise the dead as an army?" I ask. As soon as I finish speaking, I know that I sound like a fool.

"Quinn you're not a necromancer," she mutters, hands covering her face.

"What advantage can you serve me then?" I ask, completely clueless.

"I know everything! I can warn you when people are near, what they might do, I'm basically a guardian angel. . . That can't physically help with anything," she adds on.

"So what can you tell me then?" I ask. Naomi just snorts.

"I can tell you that right now is a very good time to attack," she grins.

"Attack Fletcher? Why now?" I question.

"You're about to find out," Naomi giggles. Before I can speak again, I hear the blaring Capitol Anthem. I glance up at the sky, to see the Capitol seal. A cannon went off this morning, didn't it? Who was it? I'm given the answer a few moments after.

"Is that the District 2 girl?" I ask out loud.

"Yes, Ladonna," Naomi informs me.

"Did Fletcher kill her?" I question Naomi.

"Unfortunately, yes he did. She is with me right now, but she isn't strong enough yet to be seen. Not that she will really concern you anyways, she'll go beyond the veil," Naomi says poetically.

"Well if Fletcher killed Ladonna, she must have not gone down without a fight," I theorize.

"Keep in mind Quinn, Fletcher has been in a fight with both her and Danix," Naomi informs me.

"Right, so you want me to hunt him down now because. . . He is vulnerable!" I conclude.

"Yes! Ladonna actually sent him fleeing, but she bled out shortly after," Naomi grins.

"How do you know all of this?" I ask.

"Um, I'm dead Quinn, I can see anything I want," Naomi shrugs.

"How injured is he?" I ask.

"Hmm, well he has several stabs to the side, a few broken ribs, Ladonna sliced off his ear, and he has an incredibly severe infection from a wound on his hand," she lists off. I sit back in disbelief, at how a boy as giant as Fletcher, could be so weakened.

"What do you think Quinn?" Naomi asks. I don't answer for a few seconds, as I'm trying to decide on what I will do.

"Naomi, I don't know how you did it, but you may have just convinced me to hunt down Fletcher," I say softly. Naomi cannot help but smile.

"Great! But you can't do that just yet," she interjects. I raise my head in confusion.

"Huh? Why?" I ask.

"You might want to get backup first," Naomi suggests. I look around the clearing in exasperation.

"Um, who exactly? I'm kind of a lone wolf Naomi, you're dead, and I've got no other friends or allies," I sigh. This just makes her grin more.

"Perhaps not, but you do have someone that shares a common goal," Naomi informs me. I glance up at Naomi upon hearing this news.

"Who?"

"You can easily guess Quinn, you're a smart boy," she smirks. I shake my head impatiently.

"Or you can simply just tell me," I say, crossing my arms. Naomi takes a glimpse at me, before straightening up.

"Fletcher killed Danix Bait of District 4. Who was Danix's ally?" She asks me. I take a moment to think, the answer on the tip of my tongue. I know this, I made sure to know it before we got into the arena, but who was it? It must have been someone I really haven't payed that much attention to. However, after ten seconds of hard thinking, I recall who it was.

"Laelia," I gasp. Naomi nods her head.

"I forgot about her, I didn't realize she made it this far because. . . well she was never very prominent," I mutter.

"Nobody really did, and that's an advantage to her. Aside from Fletcher, who would be trying to hunt down Laelia right now? She is just a shadow, compared to the big players," Naomi grins.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be hunting her down to kill her, I would be. . ."

"Hunting her down to work with her," Naomi finishes off my own sentence for me. This causes me to grin sinisterly. Perhaps I'm in a better position than I initially thought.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey, so it's been a while. So, whoever is actually reading this, I'm really sorry for the, *ahem*, unforetold break that I have taken. I got really busy, really uninspired, and to be quite honest, really lazy. **

**But, I want to finish this SYOT. I'm hoping that if I finish this, people will see that I can finish a story, plus I will be more inclined to write for an actual readership. Anyways, not much else to say on the matter other than summer holidays are about to be here, and that should mean more frequent updates!**

**As the story goes on, we say goodbye to another tribute. Ladonna' death I'm sure came as bit of a shock, but I'll speak more about that in the Eulogy. We have most of the United reuniting, and Minho turning away for Theia, things are going to get interesting aren't they? See you next chapter!**

**-Ares**

* * *

**Eulogy-**

**Ladonna: **With your death Ladonna, District 2 is the first District ever to be completely eliminated. Anyways, I'm not going to lie, you never completely fit in with these tributes. You were really unique, but you definitely weren't fitting for a story as dark as this. I tried to give you a place with the younger tributes, but eventually, they would have to be your downfall as of course, you were so protective and would do anything to protect them. Ladonna wasn't up there in terms of my favorite tributes, because honestly I could just never attach to her. She was complicated to write, which I do like as a challenge, but I dunno, it kind of felt like a buzzkill to have her be this massive player, and then have Fletcher. It did make for a perfect match up though. I didn't dislike you though Ladonna, and I know some readers actually really liked you. But I needed to kill you off, for a few reasons actually. I needed to break up the Terrific Trio, I needed to kill off a somewhat threatening character, and your submitter completely abandoned you and their fanfiction account. She wasn't reading, so what was the point of having you stick around? Especially if I personally wasn't going to have you make it that far. In the end, you were an innocent child, that got thrust into an unfair and ruthless game. You were difficult to give a purpose to, but I found one, and you served that part perfectly. And if Writress is somehow reading this, I am sorry. She might have stuck around longer if you had reviewed as a guest in the very least. Thanks for everything, Ladonna, and hopefully District 2 will have better luck next time around.

* * *

Remaining Districts:

**District 1**

**District 3**

**District 4**

**District 5**

**District 6**

**District 7**

**District 8**

**District 9**

**District 10**

**District 11**

**District 12**

* * *

_Remaining Tributes:_

**Haim Peridot - District 1**

**Theia Cartelle - District 1**

**Dayta Owens - District 3**

**Liesel Varner - District 3**

**Rhode Nerida - District 4**

**Minho Lyun - District 5**

**Laelia Webber - District 5**

**Aramid Vicuna - District 6**

**Hera Loughbrook - District 6**

**Atlas Verdini - District 7**

**Phionex Blast - District 7**

**Rexx Kerdom - District 8**

**Libra Spindle - District 8**

**Fletcher Wilds - District 9**

**Vince Rojarze - District 10**

**Cassia Summers - District 10**

**Quinn Holland - District 11**

**Whent Lush - District 12**

* * *

_Alliances:_

_United Pack 1:_** Rexx D8, Libra D8, Hera D6, Aramid D6, Atlas D7**

_United Pack 2:_** Vince D10, Phionex D7, Liesel D3**

_Turncloaks: _**Minho D5, Theia D1**

_Loners:_

**Haim D1**

**Dayta D3**

**Rhode D4**

**Laelia D5**

**Fletcher D9**

**Cassia D10**

**Quinn D11**

**Whent D12**

* * *

_Killers:_

**Fletcher Wilds- **4

**Theia Cartelle- **1

**Haim Peridot- **1


End file.
